DAILY READINGS & REFLECTION
JULY 9, 2023
FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF SAINT AUGUSTINE ZHAO RONG, PRIEST, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS)
FIRST READING
ZECHARIAH 9:9-10 OR (1 JOHN 5:1-5)
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass. 10 I will cut off the chariot from E'phraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
The Word of the Lord
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
PSALMS 144(145):1-2, 8-11, 13-14 OR (PSALMS 126:1-6)
Response: I will praise thy name for ever, my king and my God.
Or
R. Alleluia.
I will extol thee, my God and King,
and bless thy name for ever and ever.
Every day I will bless thee,
and praise thy name for ever and ever.
R. I will praise thy name for ever, my king and my God.
Or
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
R. I will praise thy name for ever, my king and my God.
Or
R. Alleluia.
All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O LORD,
and all thy saints shall bless thee!
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom,
and tell of thy power.
R. I will praise thy name for ever, my king and my God.
Or
R. Alleluia.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and thy dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.
The LORD upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
Or
R. Alleluia.
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SECOND READING
ROMANS 8:9, 11-13
9 But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh 13 for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.
The Word of the Lord
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GOSPEL
"Learn from me and you will find rest for your soul"
MATTHEW 11:25-30 OR (JOHN 12:24-26)
25 At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
The Gospel of the Lord
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REFLECTION
DAILY QUOTE FROM THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS
The grace of Christ bears us up, from an anonymous early Christian teacher
"'My yoke is easy and my burden light'... The prophet says this about the burden of sinners: 'Because my iniquities lie on top of my head, so they have also placed a heavy burden on me' (Psalm 38:4)... 'Place my yoke upon you, and learn from me that I am gentle and humble of heart.' Oh, what a very pleasing weight that strengthens even more those who carry it! For the weight of earthly masters gradually destroys the strength of their servants, but the weight of Christ rather helps the one who bears it, because we do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but rather grace has been given to aid us."
(excerpt from the INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 29: PG 56:780)
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Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.