Daily Readings
Hear what the LORD says:
Arise, present your plea before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice! Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD, pay attention, O foundations of the earth! For the LORD has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel.
O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery I released you; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.
RESPONSORIAL Psalm:
PS 50:5-6, 8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23
Response: (R): To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” And the heavens proclaim his justice; for God himself is the judge. <R>
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold.” <R>
“Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” <R>
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” <R>
SECOND READING;
ROM 8:26-27
Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.
GOSPEL: MT 12:38-42
Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
DAILY REFLECTION: 20th July 2026
Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
An understanding of religion that is limited to rituals and offering of sacrifices but excludes morality and ethics would be skewed! This is what Micah communicates to the people in today’s first reading, as he echoes the words of the previous prophets. In a single verse, Micah summarizes Amos’ preaching on justice, Hosea’s examples of God’s tender love and Isaiah’s teaching on humble service, outlining the way of life or a spirituality that would be acceptable to God.
While Micah recounts how the signs from God, through which he liberated His people, were expressions of His love, the many signs seen in the healings and miracles of Jesus also bear witness to God’s love.
In both readings, it appears that the people wilfully chose to ignore God’s words and signs through His messengers, as this challenged them to change, for it was more convenient to offer a sacrifice than to change their lifestyle.
Source : Archdiocese of Bombay