July 28, 2025, Monday of the 17th week in ordinary time.

A reading from the book of Exodus.

Moses turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands.

Tablets that were written on both sides, front and back.

Tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were

engraved by God himself. Now when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to

Moses, that sounds like a battle in the camp. But Moses answered, it does not sound like cries of

victory, nor does it sound like cries of victory,

nor does it sound like cries of defeat.

The sounds that I hear are cries of revelry.

As he drew near the camp,

he saw the calf and the dancing.

With that, Moses' wrath flared up

so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.

Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire and then ground it down to powder,

which he scattered on the water and made the children of Israel drink.

Moses asked Aaron,

What did this people ever do to you that you should lead them into so grave a sin?

Aaron replied,

Let not my lord be angry.

You know well enough how prone the people are to evil.

They said to me, make us a God to be our leader.

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