Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection, 28 July 2021
Mass Readings, Reflection – Homily for Wednesday July 28, 2021
Weekday (17)
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery
FIRST READING
Seeing the skin of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.
A reading from the Book of Exodus (Exodus34:29-35)
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tables of the covenant in his hand as he came down from the mountain Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. And when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the sons of Israel what he was commanded, the sons of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone; and Moses would put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 99:5.6.7.9 (R 9c)
R/. You are holy, O Lord our God.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before his footstool.
Holy is he! R.
Among his priests were Aaron and Moses;
Among those who invoked his name was Samuel.
They cried out to the Lord and he answered. R.
To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud.
They obeyed his decrees and the statutes
Which he had given them. R.
Exalt the Lord our God;
Bow down before his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy. R.
ALLELUIA John 15: 15b
Alleluia; I have called you friends, says the Lord, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“He sells all that he has and buys that field.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 13:44-46)
At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Gospel of the Lord
Today’s Reflection
“The kingdom of God is like a treasure,” says Jesus in today’s Gospel. In fact, it is the greatest treasure we can ever possess or even think of! Once discovered and possessed, nothing else would be of greater value than this. Saint Paul puts it bluntly: “Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:8). The question is how do we discover and possess the kingdom of God? We have to follow the example of the farmer and the merchant – one finding the treasure by chance and the other searching and finding a pearl of great value. On finding the most valuable treasure, they are willing to give up everything else to possess it. Our personal study, prayer and meditation will lead us to the discovery of the treasure hidden with us. And on finding, we should be willing to detach our hearts from everything else to give first priority to the treasure that surpasses all other things: Christ Jesus, Our Lord!
Personal Devotional
Lord God, my Saviour I cry out all day, and at night I come before you. Hear my prayers; listen to my cry for help! Psalm 88:1
It is written, “He disappointed the devices of the wicked so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise” (Job 5:12). Everlasting Father, please frustrate all conspiracies and evil schemes directed against me in the name of Jesus.
Most High God, my life is in your hand, please be my defense (Psalm 7:10, job 22:25). Protect me when I go out, when I come in, and all the days of my life in the name of Jesus.
Pray with Psalm 91 (Meditatively)