Catholic Daily Reading

July 20, 2026

Monday, Week 16 in Ordinary Time

https://universalis.com/australia.maitland/20260720/mass.htm

Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: A(II).

First reading

Micah 6:1-4,6-8

The Lord asks only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly

Listen to what the Lord is saying:
Stand up and let the case begin in the hearing of the mountains
and let the hills hear what you say.
Listen, you mountains, to the Lord’s accusation,
give ear, you foundations of the earth,
for the Lord is accusing his people,
pleading against Israel:
My people, what have I done to you,
how have I been a burden to you? Answer me.
I brought you out of the land of Egypt,
I rescued you from the house of slavery;
I sent Moses to lead you,
with Aaron and Miriam.
– ‘With what gift shall I come into the Lord’s presence
and bow down before God on high?
Shall I come with holocausts,
with calves one year old?
Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand,
with libations of oil in torrents?
Must I give my first-born for what I have done wrong,
the fruit of my body for my own sin?’
– What is good has been explained to you, man;
this is what the Lord asks of you:
only this, to act justly,
to love tenderly
and to walk humbly with your God.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅.
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝑮𝒐𝒅

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 49(50):5-6,8-9,16-17,21,23

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

‘Summon before me my people
who made covenant with me by sacrifice.’
The heavens proclaim his justice,
for he, God, is the judge.

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

‘I find no fault with your sacrifices,
your offerings are always before me.
I do not ask more bullocks from your farms,
nor goats from among your herds.

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

‘But how can you recite my commandments
and take my covenant on your lips,
you who despise my law
and throw my words to the winds,

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

‘You do this, and should I keep silence?
Do you think that I am like you?
a sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me
and I will show God’s salvation to the upright.’

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel Acclamation cf.Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia!
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
Alleluia!

Gospel

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖.
𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕.

𝑨 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝑮𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐

Matthew 12:38-42

𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑶 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅.

There is something greater than Solomon here

Some of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up.

‘Master,’ they said ‘we should like to see a sign from you.’ He replied, ‘It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up 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.’

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅.
𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕

Gospel of the Day (Matthew 12,1-8)

Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."
He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry,
how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.
If you knew what this meant, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned these innocent men.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day/2026/07/17.html