Daily Readings - Wed Jul 23 2025
Exodus
1The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.2In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.3The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."4Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.5On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."9Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.'"10While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.11The LORD said to Moses,12"I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"13That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.14When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.15When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
Matthew
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.9He who has ears, let him hear."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s providence and our response to His Word. In the first reading from Exodus, the Israelites find themselves in the desert, murmuring against Moses and Aaron because of their hunger and frustration. They had left the abundance of Egypt but now felt abandoned. Yet, in their despair, God provides manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, to sustain them. This gift was not only physical sustenance but also a test of their trust in Him. The Israelites were to gather only what they needed each day, learning to rely on God’s daily provision rather than their own efforts.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, which speaks to how we receive the Word of God. The seed falls on different types of soil, representing the various ways people respond to God’s message. Some hearts are hard and unresponsive, like the rocky ground; others are distracted by the cares of the world, like the thorny soil. But the good soil, fertile and open, bears abundant fruit. Jesus’ parable reminds us that our receptivity to God’s Word determines its fruitfulness in our lives.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. The Israelites in the desert had to learn to trust in God’s daily provision, even when the future seemed uncertain. Similarly, Jesus invites us to cultivate hearts that are open and receptive to His Word. In our daily lives, we often face challenges and uncertainties, but these are opportunities to deepen our faith. Let us ask ourselves: Do we grumble and doubt, or do we trust in God’s providence? Do we allow the cares of the world to choke the Word in our hearts, or do we nurture it with prayer and gratitude? May we strive to be like the good soil, bearing fruit in abundance, and may we remember that God’s grace is always sufficient for us, even in the wilderness.