Daily Readings - Thu Jul 24 2025
Exodus
1In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt-on the very day-they came to the Desert of Sinai.2After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.9The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.10And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes11and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.16On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.18Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently,19and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.20The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up
Matthew
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.13This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine revelation. In Exodus, the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai, where God descends in a dramatic display of thunder, lightning, and smoke. This theophany is not just a spectacle; it is a moment of covenant-making. God is about to give the Ten Commandments, establishing a sacred bond with His people. The Israelites are called to sanctify themselves, to prepare their hearts and minds to receive the divine law that will shape their identity and way of life. This passage reminds us that encountering God is not a casual event but a transformative experience that demands readiness and reverence.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the purpose of parables. He explains that parables are a way of revealing the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven to those who are open to understanding, while others remain hardened in their hearts. Jesus quotes Isaiah, emphasizing that some people see but do not perceive, hear but do not understand. This is a sobering reminder that God’s revelation is not always accepted. The disciples, however, are blessed because they have eyes that see and ears that hear. Jesus’ words challenge us to examine our own hearts: are we open to the truth, or have we allowed our hearts to grow dull?
These readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God’s revelation. Like the Israelites at Sinai, we are called to prepare ourselves to encounter God—whether through prayer, Scripture, or the sacraments. Like the disciples, we are blessed with the gift of faith, but we must remain attentive and receptive to God’s word. In our daily lives, this means creating space for God, seeking to understand His will, and being willing to be transformed by His truth. Let us ask ourselves: Am I open to hearing God’s voice? Am I prepared to respond with faith and obedience? May we, like the disciples, be blessed with eyes that see and ears that hear, and may our hearts remain soft and receptive to the divine revelation that comes our way.