DAILY READINGS & REFLECTION

JULY 28, 2023

FRIDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

(MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALPHONSA MUTTATHUPADATHU, VIRGIN - IN INDIA / OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF BLESSED STANLEY ROTHER, PRIEST, MARTYR)

FIRST READING

EXODUS 20:1-17 OR (IN INDIA - 2 CORINTHIANS 10:17--11:2)

1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 "You shall have no other gods before me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; 11 for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. 12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you. 13 "You shall not kill. 14 "You shall not commit adultery. 15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's."

The Word of the Lord
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM

PSALMS 18(19):8-11 OR (IN INDIA - PSALMS 63:2-6, 8-9)

Response: Lord, thou have the words of everlasting life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple.

R. Lord, thou have the words of everlasting life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes.

R. Lord, thou have the words of everlasting life.

The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.

R. Lord, thou have the words of everlasting life.

More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.

R. Lord, thou have the words of everlasting life.
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GOSPEL

Whoever hears the word and understands it

MATTHEW 13:18-23 OR (IN INDIA - MATTHEW 25:1-3 / LUKE 10:38-42)

18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

The Gospel of the Lord
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REFLECTION

DAILY QUOTE FROM THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS

God's word is like good seed sown in the heart, by Jerome (347-420 AD)

"'And the one sown upon good ground is he who hears the word, understands it and bears fruit.' Even as on bad ground there were three diverse situations (by the path, upon rocky ground and among thorns), so too on good ground the diversity is of three types: fruit of one hundredfold, sixtyfold and thirtyfold. Both in one and the other there is a change that takes place in the will, not in the nature itself. In both the unbelievers and believers it is the heart that receives the seed. 'The wicked one comes,' he says, 'and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.' In the second and third cases, he says, 'That is he who hears the word.' In the explanation of the good ground, he is the one who hears the word. First we must listen, then understand; after understanding, we must bear the fruits of good teaching and yield fruit either one hundredfold, sixtyfold or thirtyfold."

(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 2.13.23)
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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.