July 23, 2015

Reading

 Exodus 19: 1- 2, 9-11, 16- 20

19:1 In the third month of the departure of Israel from the land of Egypt, in that day, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai.

19:2 Thus, setting out from Raphidim, and going directly to the desert of Sinai, they encamped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents away from the region of the mountain.

19:3 Then Moses ascended to God. And the Lord called to him from the mountain, and he said: “This you shall say to the house of Jacob, and announce to the sons of Israel:

19:4 ‘You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, in what way I carried you upon the wings of eagles and how I have taken you for myself.

19:5 If, therefore, you will hear my voice, and you will keep my covenant, you will be to me a particular possession out of all people. For all the earth is mine.

19:6 And you will be to me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the sons of Israel.”

19:9 the Lord said to him: “Soon now, I will come to you in the mist of a cloud, so that the people may hear me speaking to you, and so that they may believe you continuously.” Therefore, Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord,

19:10 who said to him: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.

19:11 And let them be prepared on the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will descend, in the sight of all the people, over Mount Sinai.

19:16 And now, the third day arrived and the morning dawned. And behold, thunders began to be heard, and also lightning flashed, and a very dense cloud covered the mountain, and the noise of the trumpet resounded vehemently. And the people who were in the camp were fearful.

19:17 And when Moses had led them out to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the base of the mountain.

19:18 Then all of Mount Sinai was smoking. For the Lord had descended over it with fire, and smoke ascended from it, as from a furnace. And the entire mountain was terrible.

19:19 And the sound of the trumpet gradually increased to be louder, and extended to be longer. Moses was speaking, and God was answering him.

19:20 And the Lord descended over Mount Sinai, to the very top of the mountain, and he called Moses to its summit. And when he had ascended there,

Gospel

The Holy Gospel According to Matthew   13: 10-17

13:10	And his disciples drew near to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
13:11	Responding, he said to them: “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them.
13:12	For whoever has, it shall be given to him, and he shall have in abundance. But whoever has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13:13	For this reason, I speak to them in parables: because seeing, they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
13:14	And so, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who said, ‘Hearing, you shall hear, but not understand; and seeing, you shall see, but not perceive.
13:15	For the heart of this people has grown fat, and with their ears they hear heavily, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and then I would heal them.’
13:16	But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.
13:17	Amen I say to you, certainly, that many of the prophets and the just desired to see what you see, and yet they did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and yet they did not hear it.