Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection July 13, 2024
Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
13th July 2024 (Saturday)
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5 (R. 1a)
R/. The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : Matthew 10:24-33
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Saturday – Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Guidelines: The discipleship of Christ is always challenging. It would involve a lot of unpleasant and unfavourable situations. But a faithful disciple would not give up but he will rise up to the occasion
1. “Have no fear!”, “Fear not!” Jesus encourages his apostles against all the possible adversities on their mission. A good disciple tries to become like his master. His life would and mission would resemble his master’s. So, if the master himself went through suffering, maligning, and intimidating at the hands of his enemies, his disciples too can expect to meet the same fate.
2. We need not fear the world or evil for a few reasons: one, only God has absolute power and control over us. Those of the world can kill only the body and not the soul. They have only a partial and limited say in our lives. They cannot totally dictate terms over our lives. But God has the power to kill both body and soul. He is the author of life and has absolute sway and control over our lives.
3. Further, we need not fear any other factor because of God’s providential care. He who takes care of even small birds like the sparrows, will He not take care of us who are far more worthwhile. Besides, we need not fear because God considers us as precious. So valued are we in the sight of God that all our hairs are numbered and not a single hair would fall without His knowledge. And we are far more precious than the sparrows.
4. Therefore we should fear only God and not any human. But this is not a negative fear. We should have a holy fear that inhibits us from anything that might displease or oppose God. With this fear of God as our armoury, we must set out following the master and fulfilling his mission.
Practice: Isaiah heard the Lord’s voice, “Whom shall I send, and who shall go before us?” Isaiah promptly responded to the call, “Here I am! Send me”. Today how many genuinely can give the same answer, Here I am Lord! Send me!
