Daily Mass Readings for Monday, 14 August 2023
First Reading: Deuteronomy 10: 12-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 147: 12-13, 14-15, 19-20
Alleluia: Second Thessalonians 2: 14
Gospel: Matthew 17: 22-27
Monday, 14 August 2023
First Reading
Deuteronomy 10: 12-22
Moses said to the people:
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you
but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly,
to love and serve the LORD, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul,
to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD
which I enjoin on you today for your own good?
Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens,
belong to the LORD, your God,
as well as the earth and everything on it.
Yet in his love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them
as to choose you, their descendants,
in preference to all other peoples, as indeed he has now done.
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked.
For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods,
the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome,
who has no favorites, accepts no bribes;
who executes justice for the orphan and the widow,
and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him.
So you too must befriend the alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve;
hold fast to him and swear by his name.
He is your glory, he, your God,
who has done for you those great and terrible things
which your own eyes have seen.
Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy strong,
and now the LORD, your God,
has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky."
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Alleluia
See 2 Thes 2:14
Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called you through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 17:22-27
As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,
Jesus said to them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."
And they were overwhelmed with grief.
When they came to Capernaum,
the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,
"Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes," he said.
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?"
When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,
"Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you."
Todays Reflection
The Miracle of Hope
Jesus performed a minor miracle for Peter, James, and John, to dispel their fear and give them hope for his coming passion. This miracle was meant to help Peter, as he had been astonished by the first prediction of his passion and death. After the second prediction, another miracle was performed for Peter, personally, to encourage him and give him hope.
Jesus knew that Peter needed this extra grace, as he needed it to move beyond his fears and struggles and place all of his trust in Jesus. He was trustworthy, and everything He said should be believed. Reflect on the ways that God has assured you of His divine presence and action in your life. If you struggle with a struggle or doubt, turn your mind to the ways that God has been present and active in your life. Ponder His intervention and the ways He has cared for you and led you. Be grateful and allow the memory of what God has done to be your strength today and the source of hope when you need it the most.
In conclusion, Jesus' miracles are a testament to His divine presence and action in our lives. We should reflect on the ways God has assured us of His presence and action in our lives and allow the memory of His actions to be our strength and source of hope when needed.
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