Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection August 03, 2024
Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time
03rd August 2024 (Saturday)
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24
In those days: The priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.” Then the officia and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the intence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jemiah so that he was not given over to the cople to be put to death.
Psalm 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34 (R. see 14)
R/. At an acceptable time, O Lord, answer me
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : Matthew 14:1-12
At that time: Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Saturday – Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time
Guidelines: It is good to have Conviction and commitment. But by themselves, they do not show or guarantee that they are right. It is only the actions and their consequences that prove them either right or wrong
1. We are living in a world where often popularity is taken as acceptability and acceptability is taken for the legitimacy or greatness of something. But this is not always correct. Often the wrong thing appeals and gets approval while the right thing annoys and gets disapproved. Therefore popularity and approval do not always make a thing right.
2. More explicitly, truth is not always liked and appreciated, and approved. It may even lead to unfavourable reactions and consequences. This is what we concretely see in the case of Jeremiah and John the Baptist, in the first and second readings respectively. Jeremiah prophesied against Israel warning them of the impending destruction.
3. John the Baptist condemned the adulterous cohabitation of Herod with Herodias, his brother’s wife. The pronouncement of both Jeremiah and John the Baptist was very unpleasant and hard to hear and approve. Hence both incur the wrath of the opponents. But they stood their ground. Their concern was not to please the hearers or twist the truth or escape the risk.
4. Their only concern was God’s will and truth. Their whole aim was to be faithful and truthful, come what may. They were convinced of doing the right thing and they were prepared to pay the price. They stand before us as real prophets. They also expose before us the false prophets.
5. Who are these false prophets who abound in our times? The false prophets are self-seeking and self-promoting. They have their vested interests but they present them as the right values. They project themselves as justice warriors, but they crush the dignity and rights of others in the name of fighting for their own so-called rights which are actually self-interests or group interests.
6. At times, these fake prophets twist the whole truth because they want to please others. Thus they are not truthful. On the contrary, true prophets are always truthful. They seek only God’s will and ways. They are concerned only about the good of others. They are convinced of the right values and they courageously go to any extent even death for the sake of God and His mission.
Practice: Am I truthful and just? How true is my truthfulness and how just is my justice? Is my truthfulness only a disguise of slander? Is my justice only a garb for self-interests or clique interests?
