Jul 26 2021

First reading Exodus 32:15-24,30-34

The golden calf

Moses made his way back down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, tablets inscribed on both sides, inscribed on the front and on the back. These tablets were the work of God, and the writing on them was God’s writing engraved on the tablets.

Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting. ‘There is the sound of battle in the camp’, he told Moses. Moses answered him:

‘No song of victory is this sound,

no wailing for defeat this sound;

it is the sound of chanting that I hear.’

As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the groups dancing, Moses’ anger blazed. He threw down the tablets he was holding and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He seized the calf they had made and burned it, grinding it into powder which he scattered on the water; and he made the sons of Israel drink it. To Aaron Moses said, ‘What has this people done to you, for you to bring such a great sin on them?’ ‘Let not my lord’s anger blaze like this’ Aaron answered. ‘You know yourself how prone this people is to evil. They said to me, “Make us a god to go at our head; this Moses, the man who brought us up from Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So I said to them, “Who has gold?,” and they took it off and brought it to me. I threw it into the fire and out came this calf.’

On the following day Moses said to the people, ‘You have committed a grave sin. But now I shall go up to the Lord: perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.’ And Moses returned to the Lord. ‘I am grieved,’ he cried ‘this people has committed a grave sin, making themselves a god of gold. And yet, if it pleased you to forgive this sin of theirs…! But if not, then blot me out from the book that you have written.’ The Lord answered Moses, “It is the man who has sinned against me that I shall blot out from my book. Go now, lead the people to the place of which I told you. My angel shall go before you but, on the day of my visitation, I shall punish them for their sin.’

Responsorial Psalm 105(106):19-23

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Alleluia!

They fashioned a calf at Horeb

and worshipped an image of metal,

exchanging the God who was their glory

for the image of a bull that eats grass.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Alleluia!

They forgot the God who was their saviour,

who had done such great things in Egypt,

such portents in the land of Ham,

such marvels at the Red Sea.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Alleluia!

For this he said he would destroy them,

but Moses, the man he had chosen,

stood in the breach before him,

to turn back his anger from destruction.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 13:31-35

The smallest of all seeds grows into the biggest shrub of all

Jesus put a parable before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’

He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’

In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy:

I will speak to you in parables

and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.

___________________________

(Versi English)

Reflection
Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34, Matthew 13:31-35

“To do small acts of love with Jesus”
In today’s gospel, Jesus put two parables before His listeners. One speaks of the little mustard seed that grows into a large shrub. Another parable is about the yeast that has the power to leaven the dough. What seems small and insignificant at the start leads to significant results at the end.

We often look at the little that we do and wonder if we are creating any difference or bearing any fruit. Today, through the gospel passage, Jesus wants to assure us that the little love we put, the little patience we exercise, the little effort to reach out to someone, the little acts of mercy we do, etc. can have a considerable impact on the lives of the people around us. Thus, the invitation is to keep loving, and God will work wonders through us.

Question for reflection:
Today, do I have the faith that my small mustard seed will grow into a big shrub?

(Versi BM)

Renungan
Keluaran 32:15-24, 30-34, Matius 13:31-35

“Melakukan tindakan kecil dengan kasih bersama Yesus”
Dalam injil hari ini, Yesus memberikan dua perumpamaan kepada pendengar-pendengarNya. Pertama, tentang biji sesawi kecil yang bertumbuh menjadi pohon yang besar. Kedua, tentang ragi yang mempunyai kekuatan untuk membentuk adunan. Apa yang kelihatan kecil dan tidak penting pada permulaan dapat membawa kepada hasil yang signifikan diakhirnya.
Kita sering melihat sedikit yang kita lakukan dan berfikir jika kita telah membuat perbezaan dan menghasilkan buah. Melalui petikan injil hari ini, Yesus ingin memberi keyakinan kepada kita bahawa dengan sedikit kasih yang kita letakkan, sedikit kesabaran yang kita praktikkan, usaha kecil untuk menjangkau orang lain, tindakan belas kasihan yang kecil yang kita lakukan dan sebagainnya dapat memberi kesan kepada hidup orang lain di sekitar kita. Oleh itu, jemputan untuk kita adalah untuk terus mengasihi dan Tuhan akan melakukan keajaiban melalui kita.

Soalan renungan:
Adakah saya percaya bahawa biji sesawi yang saya miliki akan bertumbuh menjadi pohon yang besar?

(Versi Murut)

*Kaingkualan 32:15-24, 30-34; Matius 13:31-35*
Nantunung poyo i Jisus ra ulun masuang no ra rondo’ abig, “Paat ri Aki Kapuuno’ mamarinta, baal no koson ra sangunor puun mustard ondo’ tonomon ru sangulun giu’ ra umo nali. Unor no boborok kaga’ intor ra nansalinut unor ra tana’ ti. Kaa’ paat ra iotumuu’ no, gumayo io tojojo intor ra nansalinut puun tonomon ra bokon no. Masauk io ra puun tataun, saboi susuit-susuit rumatong manabunsut ra raan nano.” Nantunung poyo i Jisus risilo ra rondo’ abig, “Paat ri Aki Kapuuno’ mamarinta, baal no koson ra ragi ondo’ inalap ru sangulun ruandu’. Porotoko’ no ra apat ngoopor ngakilo ra tapung, am samput boo tapung i.” Paat ri Jisus nangila’ ra ulun masuang no ra ngaangai’ baal ragitio, raguon no ra abi. Kalo masaga’ Io mindagu risilo amon ru sala’ ka abig. Baalon ri Jisus koson raginio maa’ raginio masauk boo ragu ru nabi Jisaya: “Magabig Aku paat ra Aku mangila’ risilo; mambala’ Aku risilo ra sauk ondo’ kalo napandayan ru ulun intor ra tana’ ti binaal.”

Mambaal ra ondo’ koborok ayuk ra togom mabaya’ ri Jisus
Ralalom Injil ra orou raiti’, nantunung i Jisus ruo abig ra saang ru ulun masuang. Tunung ra rondo’ no mindagu ra unor ru mustard ondo’ timinuu’ ra giminayo nasauk ra puun tataun makalu. Tunung ra bokon no mindagu ra ragi ondo’ mampasamput ra doh. Atan ondo’ ilain ra boborok am kalo maatang paat ra talimpuun no makasigulu mongoi ra maatang ra tauli no.asalok takau magilong ra boborok ondo’ mabaal takau am mangimuag amon ru mambaal takau atan ayuk ondo suai kapoam mangakawa’. Orou raiiti’, ralalom pambasaan Injil, masaga’ i Jisus ritakau mintopot ra ondo’ togom boborok no gunaan takau, boborok ayuk moowot no, boborok poyo moowot no, boborok noyo ondo’ baalon ra makaasi’ takau no, am bokon-bokon poyo. Mabuli masuang masuku’ kaayagan ru ulun-ulun ra liput takau. Koon raginio boo, pangkimaitan iono rayus motogom, am i Aki Kapuuno’ makapangandoi ra kaimugan ralalom takau.

Pangkuatan ra paguangin:
Orou raiti’, mokoondo’ aku kia ra kaintapatan ra unor boborok ru mustard kuno gumayo masauk ra tataun makalu kaga’?

(Versi Iban)

Renungan
Pemansut 32:15-24,30-34; Matthew 13:31-35

“Ngereja pengawa mit ketegal pengerindu sertai enggau Jesus.”
Ba bacha Injil saritu, Jesus meri dua bengkah jako sempama ka orang mayuh. Keterubah pasal leka benih ti mit ti nyadi pun kayu besai endur beteduh. Kedua pasal ragi ti ulih ngasuh tepung nyadi kembai. Taja peda mit sereta nadai guna tang ulih mai asil ti besai.

Suah kitai meda pengemit utai dikereja kitai engka nadai mai asil. Saritu, nengah bacha Injil, Jesus meri pemeransangka kitai taja pengemit pengerindu ti dikereja kitai, pengeliat ati kitai ka orang, kereja ti mit sereta ati pengasih dikereja kitai ulih ngubah pengidup orang bukai ti sertai kitai. Nya alai kangau kitai patut seruran rindu ari nya Allah Taala deka ngereja kereja ajih nengah kitai.

Saritu, bisi aku ngembuan pengarap ti mit baka leka benih sereta mansang nyadi pun kayu ti nyadi alai beteduh?

(Versi Cina)

省思
《出卅二:15-24, 30-34》
《玛十三:31-35》

“与耶稣一同做一些有爱的举动”
今天的福音里，耶稣向祂的听众讲了两个比喻。一个是芥籽如何变成了一颗大树。另一个则是酵母可以把整個面团都发起來。看似很微小和不起眼的事物到最后却发起了这么大的变化。
我们总是看着我们做的微小事情并且质问是否会产生什么变化或者会否结果？今天，透过这篇福音，耶稣要确保我们，只要我们付出一点爱，一点耐心，对待他人的一点用心，一点的慈悲心等等都会带给他人体贴的影响。因此，我们被邀请一直地爱下去，把其余的事情交给天主。

省思题:
今天，我是相信芥籽会变成大树？