Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection (Homily), 7 August 2021

Mass Readings, Reflection – Homily for Saturday August 7, 2021

Weekday (18)
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery
SAINT SIXTUS II, Pope, and Companions, Martyrs (opt mem)
SAINT CAJETAN, Priest (opt mem)

FIRST READING
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.”
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 6:4-13)

Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, with great and excellent cities, which you did not build, and houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, and cisterns hewn out, which you did not hew, and vineyards and olive trees, which you did not plant, and when you eat and are full, then take heed lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm18:2-3a.3bc-4.47and 51ab (R. 2)
R/. I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, Lord, my strength;
O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my saviour. R.

My God, my rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold.
I cry out, “Praised be the Lord!”
and see, I am saved from my foes. R.

The Lord lives, and blest be my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted,
The Lord gives great victories to his king,
and shows merciful love for his anointed. R.

ALLELUIA 2 Timothy1:10
Alleluia. Our Saviour Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
If you have faith, nothing will be impossible to you.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew17:14-20)

At that time: A man came up to Jesus and kneeling before him said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there, ’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

The Father of an epileptic child was in desperate search of healing for his son. The disciples of Jesus attempted to heal the child, but could not. They felt so disappointed. Jesus intervened and healed the child. When they asked him why they could not save the boy, Jesus told them it was because of their little faith. Perhaps pride was beginning to set into their lives; they may have trusted in their own power instead of the power of God; most likely, they attempted to heal in their own name instead of invoking the name of God. Faith is a powerful force that moves mountains. St Ambrose says, “Faith is the firm foundation of all the virtues.”

Personal Devotional

“Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the same way as you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others, – Matthew 7:1,2

– Give me the spirit of fair judgment, so that I may not judge others unjustly

– Guide my utterances so that they will conform to your plan for me

Let Us Pray
God, grant me the wisdom that would make me focused and firm-minded. It is only in this that I can have clear understanding of your plan and enter into the fullness of your purpose for my life. Grant me the grace not to go about trying to think out the formula for situations facing me. But help me to always ASK in FAITH in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Protect me from evil friends and demonic agents.