DAILY MASS READINGS.

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS (July 17, 2023) MONDAY OF THE 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (Year I, Green) 1ST READING (EXODUS 1:8-14, 22) A reading from the Book of Exodus A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his subjects, “Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country.” Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel and reduced them to cruel slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves. Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, “Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live.” - The word of the Lord. RESPONSORIAL PSALM (PSALM 124:1B-3, 4-6, 7-8) R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord. 1.) Had not the LORD been with us– let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us– When men rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us alive, When their fury was inflamed against us. R. Our help is in the name of the Lord. 2.) Then would the waters have overwhelmed us; The torrent would have swept over us; over us then would have swept the raging waters. Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us a prey to their teeth. R. Our help is in the name of the Lord. 3.) We were rescued like a bird from the fowlers’ snare; Broken was the snare, and we were freed. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. R. Our help is in the name of the Lord. ALLELUIA (MATTHEW 5:10) R. Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. R. Alleluia, alleluia. GOSPEL (MATTHEW 10:34—11:1) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple– amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. - The Gospel of the Lord. REFLECTION: In the Gospel (Matthew 10:34—11:1), Jesus concludes ommissioning statements by telling his Apostles and us as well to have a committed faith in him. He says that he has come to set the world on fire and to bring a sword that can cause division. Here he is implying that the fire symbolizes renewal and commitment of a Christian to be courageous in giving witness to the Good News. While the sword symbolizes protection and empowerment, it divides family members and other relationships because partaking in this mission of Evangelization can sometimes cause persecution, since not all accept the message of the Lord. The Hebrews in the First Reading experienced being burdened with slavery by the Egyptians, especially when the Pharaoh wanted to outnumber them by having the firstborn killed. And it’s like they have forgotten that the God of the patriarchs will soon set them free, but for 430 years they longed for release. And we will see how God chose and appointed Moses to be his messenger before them who will remind them to believe and obey this God called Yahweh. Likewise in Jesus the new Moses, we need to have faith and total trust in him. To love him more means to put him first before family members and priorities in life, and not literally hate them. To carry his cross means to be one with his sufferings through enduring our own trials and problems in life by faith and perseverance. And to receive him with humility and joy is receiving God the Father in our lives and submitting ourselves to the divine will.