Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection July 26, 2025
Saturday – 16th Week in Ordinary Time
26th July 2025 (Saturday)
Psalter: Week 4
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Exodus 24:3-8
In those day, Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
Psalm 50: 1-2, 5-6, 14-15 (R. see 14)
R/. Give your praise as a sacrifice to God
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30
At that time: Jesus put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Saturday – 16th Week in Ordinary Time
Main Point: Greatness is not a matter of big money or position or capacity. Neither is it a matter of more influence, more importance, more affluence, or more convenience. Real greatness is holiness and goodness. And Simplicity and fidelity to God are the secrets of sanctity
1. The feast of St Anne that we celebrate today is a grand celebration for many women religious congregations that have St Anne as their Patroness.
2. It is a fact that hardly anything is known in history or in the Bible about them. From the long tradition, the account of their lives startlingly parallels the story of the barren Hannah in the OT and her conception of Samuel (1 Samuel 1); she also dedicated her child to the service of God.
3. Information concerning their lives and names is found in the 2nd-century in the Protoevangelium of James (“First Gospel of James”) and the 3rd-century Evangelium de nativitate Mariae (“Gospel of the Nativity of Mary”).
4. According to these non-canonical sources, Anne (Hebrew: Ḥannah) was born in Bethlehem in Judea. She married Joachim. They shared a wealthy and devout life in Nazareth, Israel but were very much troubled by their childlessness.
5. Joachim was reproached at the Temple for his sterility and so he withdrew into the countryside to pray. Anne, grief-stricken by his disappearance and by her barrenness, solemnly promised God that, if given a child, she would dedicate it to the Lord’s service. Both received the vision of an angel, who announced that Anne would conceive and bear a most wondrous child.
6. The couple rejoiced at the birth of their daughter, whom Anne named Mary. When the child was three years old, Joachim and Anne, in fulfilment of her divine promise, brought Mary to the temple of Jerusalem, where they left her to be brought up.
7. Whether these accounts are really historical or only devotional, is not a crucial matter. Certainly, it will not be a mere fabricated story if we hold them to be good and holy people.
8. The reason is simple: “Every tree is known by its fruits. A good tree produces good fruits and a bad tree produces bad fruits” (Mt 7. 16-20). This is very true in the case of St Ann. If you want to see, understand, and appreciate the greatness of Ann, look at her daughter Mary.
9. If Mary is so simple and humble, gentle and noble, docile and surrendered, magnanimous and generous, pure and immaculate, surely we can imagine how Ann nurtured these qualities in Mary and brought her up in the way of God. Mary mirrors the virtues of Ann.
10. Therefore, their feast invites us to focus once again intently on this great saint, draw inspiration and guidance, encouragement and support from her, check and review our life and mission in the light of her life and example and thus strive for a fresh renewal and better commitment.
11. This feast of St Anne and St Joachim is in no way irrelevant for others, especially the lay faithful because they stand before all as great models for good parenting.
12. Let us clearly remember that the greatest tribute to St Ann is not only singing her praises on this day but much more making our life, in imitation of her, a living song and praise in God’s glory.
13. Let us not only venerate her but also imitate her virtues, especially her simplicity, fear of God, holiness, and good example. St Ann should be not only a model for admiration but a role model for emulation. She should be an inspiration for all those entrusted with the care of others in different roles to guide them on the right path with sound values.
14. In tune with their great example, we must realise that what matters in life is not so much to have many things, but to have healthy values; it is not to have a lot of money, but to have a solid heart; it is not to have beautiful clothes, but to be dressed with a beautiful character; it is not to take care of a beautiful body, but to nourish a good soul; it is not to have high and expensive education, but to have a noble formation of faith; it is not so much to grow in well-being, but to grow in well-living; it is not so much to be competent but to be benevolent.
15. In particular, as Saints Anne and Joachim are patron saints of the grandparents, they are great role models for all the parents who should hold more responsibility for bringing up their children in a culture of faith and good values. This is all a question of good parenting.
16. Bearing and bringing up children is not just something physical or material. Parenting is not just providing the children with bundles of money, costly clothes, comfortable housing, fat-paid education, lucrative jobs, and prestigious matches. It is much more than that.
17. Parenting is a concern of grooming the children in a sane culture of faith and values. It is educating, forming, fostering, and maturing them to live healthy, holy, good, and happy lives. It is a matter of growing the young generation into fine human beings, good family members, caring neighbours, and responsible and committed citizens.
18. This is a noble task, and it places certain conditions on each parent and grandparent. It is a sacred duty to teach the children by word and example, accompanying and guiding them with clarity, conviction, and patience, blending freedom with responsibility, indulgence with discipline.
19. Children are a gift from the Lord, and therefore, they should be treated not only with respect but with reverence and should be brought up with a sense of utmost responsibility.
20. Every parent and grandparent should be conscious that they stand answerable and accountable before God, whether they bring up their children as integral and integrated human persons.
My Practice: The beauty and value of life does not consist in acquiring what is big in the sight of the world, but in growing great in the fear and intimacy of God and love and sensitivity towards other humans
