Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 25, 2017
First Reading: 1 Maccabees 6.1-13
1And king Antiochus was traveling through the upper regions, and he heard that the city of Elymais in Persia was very noble and abundant in silver and gold2and that the temple in it was very opulent, and that there were, in that place, coverings of gold, and breastplates and shields, which Alexander, the son of Philip, king of Macedonia, who reigned first in Greece, had left behind3So he came and sought to seize the city and to pillage it. And he was not able, because this plan became known to those who were in the city4And they rose up in battle, and he fled away from there, and he departed with great sadness, and he returned into Babylon5And someone arrived to report to him in Persia, that those who were in the land of Judah were forced to flee the camp6and that Lysias went forth with a particularly strong army, and he was forced to flee before the face of the Jews, and that they were strengthened by the weapons, and resources, and many spoils which they seized from the camps they demolished7and that they had destroyed the abomination, which he had established on the altar that was in Jerusalem, and that the sanctuary, just as before, had been encircled with high walls, along with Bethzur, his city8And it happened that, when the king heard these words, he was terrified and very moved. And he fell down on his bed, and he fell into feebleness out of grief. For it had not happened to him as he had intended9And he was in that place through many days. For a great grief was renewed in him, and he concluded that he would die10And he called all his friends, and he said to them: "Sleep has withdrawn from my eyes, and I am declining, and my heart has collapsed out of anxiety11And I said in my heart: How much trouble has come to me, and what floods of sorrow there are, where I am now! I used to be cheerful and beloved in my power12Truly, now, I remember the evils that I did in Jerusalem, from which place I also took away all the spoils of gold and silver that were in it, and I sent to carry away the inhabitants of Judah without cause13Therefore, I know that it is because of this that these evils have found me. And behold, I perish with great sorrow in a foreign land.
Psalm 9
1Unto the end. For the secrets of the Son. A Psalm of David. I will confess to you, Lord, with my whole heart. I will recount all your wonders2I will rejoice and exult in you. I will sing a psalm to your name, O Most High3For my enemy will be turned back. They will be weakened and perish before your face4For you have accomplished my judgment and my cause. You have sat upon the throne that judges justice5You have rebuked the Gentiles, and the impious one has perished. You have deleted their name in eternity and for all generations6The spears of the enemy have failed in the end, and their cities, you have destroyed. Their memory has perished with a loud noise7But the Lord remains in eternity. He has prepared his throne in judgment8And he will judge the whole world in equity. He will judge the people in justice9And the Lord has become a refuge for the poor, a helper in opportunity, in tribulation10And may they hope in you, who know your name. For you have not abandoned those seeking you, Lord11Sing a psalm to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. Announce his study among the Gentiles12Because of those who yearned for their blood, he has remembered them. He has not forgotten the cry of the poor13Have mercy on me, Lord. See my humiliation from my enemies14You lift me up from the gates of death, so that I may announce all your praises at the gates of the daughter of Zion15I will exult in your salvation. The Gentiles have become trapped in the ruin that they made. Their foot has been caught in the same snare that they themselves had hidden16The Lord will be recognized when making judgments. The sinner has been caught in the works of his own hands17The sinners will be turned into Hell: all the Gentiles who have forgotten God18For the poor will not be forgotten in the end. The patience of the poor will not perish in the end19Rise up, Lord: do not let man be strengthened. Let the Gentiles be judged in your sight20O Lord, establish a lawgiver over them, so that the Gentiles may know that they are only men
Gospel: Luke 20.27-40
27Now some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, approached him. And they questioned him28saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote for us: If any man’s brother will have died, having a wife, and if he does not have any children, then his brother should take her as his wife, and he should raise up offspring for his brother29And so there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and he died without sons30And the next one married her, and he also died without a son31And the third married her, and similarly all seven, and none of them left behind any offspring, and they each died32Last of all, the woman also died33In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For certainly all seven had her as a wife.34And so, Jesus said to them: "The children of this age marry and are given in marriage35Yet truly, those who shall be held worthy of that age, and of the resurrection from the dead, will neither be married, nor take wives36For they can no longer die. For they are equal to the Angels, and they are children of God, since they are children of the resurrection37For in truth, the dead do rise again, as Moses also showed beside the bush, when he called the Lord: ‘The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.38And so he is not the God of the dead, but of the living. For all are alive to him.39Then some of the scribes, in response, said to him, "Teacher, you have spoken well.40And they no longer dared to question him about anything
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two distinct narratives that invite us to reflect on the consequences of our actions and the promise of eternal life. The first reading from 1 Maccabees describes the downfall of King Antiochus, who, after attempting to desecrate the Temple in Jerusalem, is overcome with grief and regret. His suffering is a direct result of his own sinful actions, and he comes to realize the gravity of his mistakes. This passage reminds us that sin has consequences, but it also hints at the possibility of repentance and the hope for forgiveness.
In the Gospel, Jesus engages with the Sadducees, who question Him about the resurrection. Using the example of a woman who marries seven brothers, they seek to undermine the concept of an afterlife. Jesus responds by explaining that life in the resurrection is fundamentally different from earthly life. He emphasizes that those who are raised will live as children of God, free from death and sin. This teaching challenges us to reorient our priorities, recognizing that our ultimate destiny is not in this world but in the eternal life promised by God.
Together, these readings call us to examine our lives and our faith. Like King Antiochus, we must acknowledge our sins and turn to God with contrite hearts. And like the Sadducees, we are invited to deepen our understanding of the resurrection, not as a mere philosophical concept, but as the fulfillment of God’s promise to us. May we strive to live in a way that reflects our belief in eternal life, trusting that God’s love and mercy will guide us through the trials of this world to the joy of the next.