July 1
Tuesday

13th Week in Ordinary Time
Bl. Junipero Serra

First Reading: Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12

Hear this word which Yahweh speaks against you, people of Israel, against the whole family which he brought up from the land of Egypt.
"Only you have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will call you to account for all your wrongdoings."
Do two walk together unless they have agreed?
Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl in its den unless it has seized something?
Does a bird get caught in a snare if the snare has not been baited?
Does a tiger spring up from the ground unless it has caught something?
If a trumpet sounds in a city, will the people not be frightened?
If disaster strikes a city, has not Yahweh caused it? Yet Yahweh does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. If the lion roars, who will not be afraid? If Yahweh speaks, who will not prophesy?
"I overthrew you, a divine punishment, as happened to Sodom and Gomorrah; you were like a brand snatched from the blaze, yet you never returned to me," says Yahweh.
"Therefore I will deal with you in my own way, Israel, and since I will do this to you, prepare, Israel, to meet your God!"

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 5:4b-6a, 6b-7, 8
Lead me into your justice, Lord.

Second Reading: Mt 8:23-27

Jesus got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning a fierce storm hit the lake, with waves sweeping the boat. But Jesus was asleep.
They woke him and cried, "Lord save us! We are lost!" But Jesus answered, "Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?" Then he stood up and ordered the wind and sea; and it became completely calm.
The people were astonished. They said, "What kind of man is he? Even the winds and the sea obey him."

Gospel Reading: Mt 8:23-27

The shepherds came hurriedly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger. On seeing this they related what they had been told about the child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.
As for Mary, she treasured all these messages and continually pondered over them.
The shepherds then returned giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the angels had told them.
On the eighth day the circumcision of the baby had to be performed; he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Commentary
The image of the boat being tossed and turned by the winds and rain is very much an image of the Church. The Church is the refuge from the storm, without which we would perish. And even though the boat may be rocked by world events or even by scandal from within, we know that the Lord Jesus is within the boat, and that He will make sure that none be lost, for He desires that all be saved.
May we stay on board the ship of faith that is the Church. With the Lord as its captain, is there any doubt that we will reach the heavenly harbor?

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July 2
Wednesday

13th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Am 5:14-15, 21-24

Seek good and shun evil, that you may live. Then Yahweh, the God of hosts, as you have claimed, will be with you.
Hate wickedness and love virtue, and let justice prevail in the courts; perhaps Yahweh, the God of hosts, will take pity on the remnant of Joseph.
I hate, I reject your feasts, I take no pleasure when you assemble to offer me your burnt offerings. Your cereal offerings, I will not accept! Your offerings of fattened beasts, I will not look upon!
Away with the noise of your chanting, away with your strumming on harps. But let justice run its course like water, and righteousness be like an ever-flowing river.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 50:7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 16bc-17
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel Reading: Mt 8:28-34

When Jesus reached Gadara on the other side, he was met by two demoniacs who came out from the tombs. They were so fierce that no one dared to pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, "What do you want with us, you, Son of God? Have you come to torture us before the time?"
At some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding. So the demons begged him, "If you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs."
Jesus ordered them, "Go." So they left and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned.
The men in charge of them ran off to the town, where they told the whole story, also what had happened to the men possessed with the demons. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their area.

Commentary
In this disturbing story, Jesus threatens the status quo of the town of Gadara. His impressive miracle upsets the routine and the livelihood of the place, and they beg Him to leave.
It has been said that Jesus comes both to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. We might resist a particular teaching of Jesus because it will demand too great a change of us. We might be the comfortable ones who are afflicted by the challenging words of Jesus. May God's grace help us to open ourselves more and more each day to the will of God.

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July 3
Thursday

13th Week in Ordinary Time
Thomas

First Reading: Eph 2:19-22

Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of?the household of God. You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus. In him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the Lord. In him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 117:1bc, 2
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Gospel Reading: Jn 20:24-29

Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he replied, "Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Resist no longer and be a believer."
Thomas then said, "You are my Lord and my God." Jesus replied, "You believe because you see me, don't you? Happy are those who have not seen and believe."

Commentary
Though at first he doubted, St. Thomas would be convinced by the presence of the Risen Lord. His words would become ours as we behold the Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and exclaim, in faith, "My Lord and my God!"
The presence of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist is indeed one of peace, one that gives comfort to our souls and renews our strength to serve Him. We are truly blessed, for though our eyes have never seen Him, the gift of faith affords us access to His holy presence.

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July 4
Friday

13th Week in Ordinary Time
Elizabeth of Portugal

First Reading: Am 8:4-6, 9-12

Hear this, you who trample on the needy to do away with the weak of the land. You who say, "When will the new moon or the sabbath feast be over that we may open the store and sell our grain? Let us lower the measure and raise the price; let us cheat and tamper with the scales, and even sell the refuse with the whole grain. We will buy up the poor for money and the needy for a pair of sandals."
Yahweh says, "On that day I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
"I will turn your festivals into mourning and all your singing into wailing. Everyone will mourn, covered with sackcloth and every head will be shaved. I will make them mourn as for an only son and bring their day to a bitter end."
Yahweh says, "Days are coming when I will send famine upon the land, not hunger for bread or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of Yahweh.
"Men will stagger from sea to sea, wander to and fro, from north to east, searching for the word of Yahweh, but they will not find it."

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131
One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Gospel Reading: Mt 9:9-13

As Jesus moved on, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the customhouse, and he said to him, "Follow me." And Matthew got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, "Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?"
When Jesus heard this he said, "Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Commentary
Jesus' invitation struck St. Matthew to the core, and caused within him a change that not even his closest friends could have ever predicted. From a world filled with trickery and greed, St. Matthew emerged as one who would call other people to a life of integrity and simplicity of life, following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, who became poor so that we might become incredibly wealthy.
May we, like St. Matthew, be wise enough to respond generously to the Lord's life-changing invitation to follow Him along the path of everlasting life.

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July 5
Saturday

13th Week in Ordinary Time
Anthony Mary Zaccaria

First Reading: Am 9:11-15

"On that day I shall restore the fallen hut of David and wall up its breaches and raise its ruined walls and so build it as in days of old.
"They shall conquer the remnant of Edom and the neighboring nations upon which my name has been called." Thus says Yahweh, the one who will do this.
Yahweh says also, "The days are coming when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes overtake the sower. The mountains shall drip sweet wine and all the hills shall melt.
"I shall bring back the exiles of my people Israel; they will rebuild the desolate cities and dwell in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will have orchards and eat their fruit. ?I shall plant them in their own country and they shall never again be rooted up from the land which I have given them," says Yahweh your God.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Gospel Reading: Mt 9:14-17

The disciples of John came to him with the question, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not your disciples?"
Jesus answered them, "How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast.
"No one patches an old coat with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for the patch will shrink and tear an even bigger hole in the coat. Besides you don't put new wine in old wineskins. If you do, the wineskins will burst and the wine be spilt. No, you put new wine in fresh skins; then both are preserved."

Commentary
Just as fresh wine requires new wineskins, so does the Good News of Jesus require the right kind of vessels. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are remade. We are, in fact, reborn so as to be made capable of containing the fullness of grace that God intends for us.
May we always be conscious of the great gift that God gives to us through baptism, the sacrament that remits original sin and configures us to the Lord Jesus, thus giving us access to the "new wine" of the Kingdom of God.

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July 6
Sunday

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Zec 9:9-10

Thus says the Lord: Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem!
For your king is coming, just and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
No more chariots in Ephraim,
no more horses in Jerusalem,
for he will do away with them.
The warrior's bow shall be broken when he dictates peace
to the nations.
He will reign from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
I will praise your name for ever, my King and my God.

Second Reading: Rom 8:9, 11-13

Brothers and sisters, your existence is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, because the Spirit of God is within you. If you did not have the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him.
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is within you, He who raised Jesus Christ from among the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. Yes, he will do it through his Spirit who dwells within you.
Then, brothers, let us leave the flesh and no longer live according to it. If not, we will die. Rather, walking in the Spirit, let us put to death the body's deeds so that we may live.

Gospel Reading: Mt 11:25-30

On one occasion Jesus said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.
"Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
"Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light."

Commentary
What joy these words of Jesus bring to our souls, especially when we are going through difficult times. "Come to me," Jesus says, especially when you are world-weary, anxious or heavily-burdened. "Come to me," Jesus says, and find the peace that this world cannot bring.
Jesus knows the difficulties that we face in this life, and He stands ready to help us to bear these difficult crosses. When we turn to Him in our times of trial we find that the Lord keeps His promises, and that He never leaves His faithful ones disappointed.

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July 7
Monday

14th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Hos 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22

Thus says Yahweh: So I am going to allure her, lead her once more into the desert, where I can speak to her tenderly.
Then I will give back her vineyards, make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will answer me as in her youth, as when she came out of the land of Egypt.
On that day, Yahweh says, you will call me my husband, and never again: my Baal.
You will be my spouse forever, betrothed in justice and integrity; we will be united in love and tenderness. I will espouse you in faithfulness and you will come to know Yahweh.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
The Lord is gracious and merciful.

Gospel Reading: Mt 9:18-26

While Jesus was speaking, an official of the synagogue came up to him, bowed before him and said, "My daughter has just died, but come and place your hands on her, and she will live." Jesus stood up and followed him with his disciples.
Then a woman who had suffered from a severe bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the edge of his cloak. For she thought, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned, saw her and said, "Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you." And from that moment the woman was cured.
When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the excited crowd, he said, "Get out of here! The girl is not dead. She is only sleeping!" And they laughed at him. But once the crowd had been turned out, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up. The news of this spread through the whole area.

Commentary
Just as Jesus reached out His hand and brought the dead girl back to life, so too does He extend his renewing and life-giving touch to those who are dead to sin and suffering the corruption and decay that comes from living too far away from God. Jesus reconciles us poor sinners to the Father by the blood of the cross, and in so doing brings us back to life.
Through His hands, extended upon the cross, we have life and we have it to the full. Those same hands continue to touch us through the sacraments of the Church.

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July 8
Tuesday

14th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Hos 8:4-7, 11-13

Thus says Yahweh: Without my approval they set up kings and without my blessing appointed leaders. With their silver and gold they fashioned idols to their own ruin.
To me, Samaria, your calf is loathsome and my anger blazes against you. How long will you remain defiled? The calf is yours, Israel, a craftsman has made it; it is not God and will be broken into pieces. As they sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind. Like the erect ear of corn they will bear no grain and produce no flour, or if they do, foreigners will devour it.
Ephraim built many altars but his altars made him more guilty. I wrote out for him the numerous precepts of my Law, but they look on them as coming from foreigners.
They offer sacrifices to me because they are those who eat the meat, but Yahweh does not accept their sacrifices for he is mindful of their sin and remembers their wickedness. They will return to Egypt.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 115:3-4, 5-6, 7ab-8, 9-10
The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Mt 9:32-38

Some people brought to Jesus a man who was dumb because he was possessed by a demon. When the demon was driven out, the dumb man began to speak. The crowds were astonished and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." (But the Pharisees said, "He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons.")
Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and he cured every sickness and disease. When he saw the crowds he was moved with pity, for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest."

Commentary
Jesus' heart was stirred to deep pity when He looked upon the vast crowds who longed for relief from their burdens. Some of the sick He would cure physically, but all would go away healed in a deeper way: healed of their cynicism, their despair, their doubt.
Whatever our problem might be, Jesus is the solution. When we draw near to Him we find healing and grace, and we find that our lives take on great significance. The Lord who looked upon those crowds with pity continues to look upon us with love.

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July 9
Wednesday

14th Week in Ordinary Time
Augustine Zhao Rong

First Reading: Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12

Israel was a spreading vine, rich in fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the more his land prospered, the more he adorned his sacred stones.
Their heart is divided! They shall pay for it. Their altars will be thrown down and their sacred stones broken to pieces.
Now they say, "We have no king (because we have no fear of God) and what good would a king do us?"
As for the king of Samaria, he has been carried off like foam on water.
The idolatrous high places-the sin of Israel-will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will creep over the altars. Then they will say to the mountains: "Cover us," and to the hills: "Fall on us."
Plow new ground, sow for yourselves justice and reap the harvest of kindness. It is the time to go seeking Yahweh until he comes to rain salvation on you.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Seek always the face of the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Mt 10:1-7

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray him.
Jesus sent these twelve on mission with the instruction: "Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.
"Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near."

Commentary
The apostles charged with the task of proclaiming the Kingdom were not all of the same mold. Some were fishermen and another was a tax collector. Some were learned and others were simple. Some were zealous for political change, others were young and still learning their way.
Jesus called each of the apostles for a reason, just as He has a purpose for calling each of us. In our own way, using the gifts that God has given to us, we all have a unique role to play in the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.

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July 10
Thursday

14th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Hos 11:1-4, 8e-9

I loved Israel when he was a child; out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I have called, the further have they gone from me-sacrificing to the Baals, burning incense to the idols.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; yet little did they realize that it was I who cared for them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with leading strings of love, and I became for them as one who eases the yoke upon their neck and stoops down to feed them.
How can I give you up, Ephraim? Can I abandon you like Admah or make you like Zeboiim? My heart is troubled within me and I am moved with compassion. I will not give vent to my great anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not human. I am the Holy One in your midst and I do not want to come to you in anger.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16
Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.

Gospel Reading: Mt 10:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples, "Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift. Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your purses. Do not carry a traveler's bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or walking stick: workers deserve their living.
"When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave.
"As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you.
"And if you are not welcomed and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town and shake the dust off your feet. I assure you, it will go easier for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will for the people of that town."

Commentary
Why were the disciples told not to wear sandals? In the time of Jesus, the roads were sufficiently smooth so that a traveler would not need to wear sandals. But in case a brigand would force a traveler off the road, he would need sandals to protect his feet against the sharp rocks. In commanding them not to wear sandals, Jesus invites His disciples to trust in Him. They are doing His will, and so they have no need to fear. The Lord Himself will be their protection and strength.
So it is today. When we walk along the path of life, we need not fear.

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July 11
Friday

14th Week in Ordinary Time
Benedict

First Reading: Hos 14:2-10

Thus says Yahweh: Return to your God Yahweh, O Israel! Your sins have caused your downfall. Return to Yahweh with humble words. Say to him, "Oh you who show compassion to the fatherless forgive our debt, be appeased. Instead of bulls and sacrifices, accept the praise from our lips. Assyria will not save us: no longer shall we look for horses nor ever again shall we say 'Our gods' to the work of our hands." I will heal their wavering and love them with all my heart for my anger has turned from them.
I shall be like dew to Israel like the lily will he blossom. Like a cedar he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow and spread. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance, like a Lebanon cedar. They will dwell in my shade again, they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like a vine, and their fame will be like Lebanon wine. What would Ephraim do with idols, when it is I who hear and make him prosper?
I am like an evergreen cypress tree; all your fruitfulness comes from me. Who is wise enough to grasp all this? Who is discerning and will understand? Straight are the ways of Yahweh: the just walk in them, but the sinners stumble.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Gospel Reading: Mt 10:16-23

Jesus said to his disciples, "Look, I send you out like sheep among wolves. You must be clever as snakes and innocent as doves. Be on your guard with respect to people, for they will hand you over to their courts and they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of me, and so you may witness to them and the pagans.
"But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say and how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it is not you who will speak; but it will be the Spirit of your Father in you.
"Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.
"When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For sure, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

Commentary
Jesus assures the disciples that they will be protected in time of adversity, and that He would provide for their needs. This did not mean that the followers of Jesus would be spared difficult trials. On the contrary, those who follow Him are guaranteed that they will have to carry the cross.
We have crosses to bear and our lives are sometimes made difficult because of our religious convictions. It is precisely when the road becomes difficult that we know more clearly that the Lord is at our side, always there to give us strength.

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July 12
Saturday

14th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Is 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; the train of his robe filled the Temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: two to cover the face, two to cover the feet, and two to fly with.
They were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh Sabaoth.
All the earth is filled with his Glory!"
At the sound of their voices the foundations of the threshold shook and the Temple was filled with smoke. I said, "Poor me! I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips, and yet I have seen the King, Yahweh Sabaoth."
Then one of the seraphs flew to me; in his hands was a live coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it and said,
"See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" I answered, "Here I am. Send me!"

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5
The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Gospel Reading: Mt 10:24-33

Jesus said to his apostles, "A student is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master. A student should be glad to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If the head of the family has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of the family! So, do not be afraid of them.
"There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops.
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather be afraid of him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. For only a few cents you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. So do not be afraid: you are worth much more than many sparrows.
"Whoever acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever rejects me before others I will reject before my Father in heaven."

Commentary
Just as the Lord holds dear every one of His beloved creatures, so does He guard and protect those who believe in Him. Each human life is of inestimable value in the sight of the Lord. Every person is special, because every man, woman and child is created in the image and likeness of God.
We must remember this, especially on those days when we are discouraged about the present or anxious about the future. The Lord believes in us and stands ready to answer our every prayer. Be not afraid!

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July 13
Sunday

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Is 55:10-11

Thus says the Lord:
As the rain and the snow come down
from the heavens and do not return
till they have watered the earth,
making it yield seed for the sower
and food for others to eat,
so is my word that goes forth out of my mouth:
it will not return to me idle,
but it shall accomplish my will,
the purpose for which it has been sent.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Second Reading: Rom 8:18-23

Brothers and sisters: "I consider that the suffering of our present life cannot be compared with the Glory that will be revealed and given to us. All creation is eagerly expecting the birth in glory of the children of God. For if now the created world was unable to attain its purpose, this did not come from itself, but from the one who subjected it. But it is not without hope; for even the created world will be freed from this fate of death and share the freedom and glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pangs of birth. Not creation alone, but even ourselves, although the Spirit was given to us as a foretaste of what we are to receive, we groan in our innermost being, eagerly awaiting the day when God will give us full rights and rescue our bodies as well.

Gospel Reading: Mt 13:1-23

Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. As many people gathered around him, he got in a boat. There he sat while the whole crowd stood on the shore, and he spoke to them in parables about many things.
Jesus said, "The sower went out to sow and, as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground where there was little soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was not deep. ?But as soon the sun rose the plants were scorched and withered because they had no roots. Again other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants. Still other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop; some produced a hundredfold, others sixty and others thirty. If you have ears, then hear!"
Then his disciples came to him with the question, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
Jesus answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people. For the one who has, will be given more and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables, because they look and do not see; they hear, but they do not listen or understand.
In them the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive.
For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back and I would heal them.
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear.
For I tell you that many prophets and upright people would have longed to see the things you see, but they did not, and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear it.
Now listen to the parable of the sower.
When a person hears the message of the Kingdom but without taking it to himself, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath.
The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy.?But such a person has no roots. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word, than he gives up.
The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word, but then the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word, and it does not bear fruit.
As for the seed that fell on good soil it is the one who hears the word and understands it; this bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more."

Commentary
The seed is the Word of God, and the good soil is the heart and mind of the person who is disposed to accepting that Word. Soil needs to be plowed before the seed is sown, and so too do our hearts and minds need to be opened up before the Word of God can take root within us.
The daily discipline of reading the Word of God and praying over it is a most excellent way of preparing the soil for God's Word to take root. With an open heart and mind, there is nothing preventing God's Word from producing within you even a hundredfold!

July 14
Monday

15th Week in Ordinary Time
Camillus de Lellis / Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha

First Reading: Is 1:10-17

Hear the warning of Yahweh, rulers of Sodom. Listen to the word of God, people of Gomorrah. "What do I care," says Yahweh "for your endless sacrifices? I am fed up with your burnt offerings, and the fat of your bulls. The blood of fatlings, and lambs and he-goats I abhor.
"When you come before me and trample on my courts, who asked you to visit me? I am fed up with your oblations. I grow sick with your incense. Your New Moons, Sabbaths and meetings, evil with holy assemblies, I can no longer bear.
"I hate your New Moons and appointed feasts they burden me. When you stretch out your hands I will close my eyes; the more you pray, the more I refuse to listen, for your hands are bloody.
"Wash and make yourselves clean. Remove from my sight the evil of your deeds. Put an end to your wickedness and learn to do good. Seek justice and keep in line the abusers; give the fatherless their rights and defend the widow."

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel Reading: Mt 10:34-11:1

Jesus said to his apostles, "Do not think that I have come to establish peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father and daughter against her mother; a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Each one will have as enemies those of one's own family.
"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 come after me is not worthy of me. One who wants to benefit from his life will lose it; one who loses his life for my sake will find it.
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. The one who welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a just man because he is a just man will receive the reward of a just man. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is a disciple of mine, I assure you, he will not go unrewarded."
When Jesus had finished giving his twelve disciples these instructions, he went on from there to teach and to proclaim his message in their towns.

Commentary
When we commit ourselves to following in the footsteps of Jesus we place our lives entirely at His disposal. Still, when we make a commitment to the Lord, He makes a commitment to us.
Those who strive to do the will of the Lord each and every day have no need to fear, for the Lord will take good care of those who trust in Him. This we have on good authority, for the Lord Himself has said so, and He is absolutely reliable and entirely trustworthy. May we never cease placing our trust in Him.

July 15
Tuesday

15th Week in Ordinary Time
Bonaventure

First Reading: Is 7:1-9

When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, laid siege to Jerusalem but they were unable to capture it.
When the news reached the house of David, "Aram's troops are encamped in Ephraim," the heart of the king and the hearts of the people trembled as the trees of the forest tremble before the wind.
Yahweh then said to Isaiah: "Go with your son A-remnant-will-return, and meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field.
Say to him,
Stay calm and fear not; do not lose courage before these two stumps of smoldering fire brands-the fierce anger of Rezin the Aramean and the blazing fury of the son of Remaliah. You know that Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted against Judah, saying: Let us invade and scare it, let us seize it and put the son of Tabeel king over it. But the Lord Yahweh says:
It shall not be so, it shall not come to pass. For Damascus is only the head of Aram and Rezin the lord of Damascus. Samaria is only the head of Ephraim and Remaliah's son is only the lord of Samaria. Within fifty-six years, Ephraim will be shattered and will no longer be a people. But if you do not stand firm in faith, you, too, will not stand at all.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 48:2-3a, 3b-4, 5-6, 7-8
God upholds his city for ever.

Gospel Reading: Mt 11:20-24

Jesus began to denounce the cities in which he had performed most of his miracles, because the people there did not change their ways, "Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I assure you, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more bearable on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be