Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 26, 2019
First Reading: Sirach 2.1-11
1Son, when you apply yourself to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare your soul for temptation2Humble your heart, and persevere. Incline your ear, and accept words of understanding. And you should not hurry away in the time of distress3Endure steadfastly for God. Join yourself to God, and persevere, so that your life may increase in the very end4Accept everything that will happen to you, and persevere in your sorrow, and have patience in your humiliation5For gold and silver are tested in fire, yet truly, acceptable men are tested in the furnace of humiliation6Believe God, and he will restore you to health. And straighten your way, and hope in him. Observe his fear, and grow old in it7You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy. And do not turn away from him, lest you fall8You who fear the Lord, believe in him. And your reward will not be taken away9You who fear the Lord, hope in him. And mercy will approach you, to your delight10You who fear the Lord, love him. And your hearts will be illuminated11My sons, consider the nations of men, and know that not one of them hoped in the Lord and was confounded
Psalm 37
1A Psalm of David himself. Do not choose to imitate the malicious; neither should you envy those who work iniquity2For they will quickly wither away like dry grass, and in like manner to kitchen herbs, they will soon droop3Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and so you shall be pastured with its riches4Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart5Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it6And he will bring forth your justice like the light, and your judgment like the midday7Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice8Cease from wrath and leave behind rage. Do not choose to imitate the malicious9For those who are malicious will be exterminated. But those who remain with the Lord, these will inherit the land10Yet still a little while, and the sinner will not be. And you will search his place and find nothing11But the meek shall inherit the earth, and they will delight in the multitude of peace12The sinner will observe the just, and he will gnash his teeth over him13But the Lord will laugh at him: for he knows in advance that his day will come14The sinners have drawn the sword, they have bent their bow, so as to cast down the poor and the needy, so as to massacre the upright of heart15Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken16A little is better to the just than the many riches of sinners17For the arms of sinners will be crushed, but the Lord confirms the just18The Lord knows the days of the immaculate, and their inheritance will be in eternity19They will not be confounded in an evil time; and in days of famine, they will be satisfied20for sinners will perish. Truly, the adversaries of the Lord, soon after they have been honored and exalted, will fade away, in the same way that smoke fades away21The sinner will lend and not release, but the just one shows compassion and donates22For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will perish23The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will choose his way24When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places his hand under him25I have been young, and now I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread26He shows compassion and lends, all day long, and his offspring will be in blessing27Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever and ever28For the Lord loves judgment, and he will not abandon his saints. They will be kept safe in eternity. The unjust will be punished, and the offspring of the impious will perish29But the just will inherit the earth, and they will dwell upon it forever and ever30The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment31The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted32The sinner considers the just one and seeks to put him to death33But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged34Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way. And he will exalt you, so as to inherit the land that you may seize. When the sinners will have passed away, then you shall see35I have seen the impious over-exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon36And I passed by, and behold, he was not. And I sought him, and his place was not found37Keep to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man38But the unjust will be destroyed together: the allotments of the impious will pass away39But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in time of tribulation40And the Lord will help them and free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him
Gospel: Mark 9.30-37
30And setting out from there, they passed through Galilee. And he intended that no one know about it31Then he taught his disciples, and he said to them, "For the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and having been killed, on the third day he will rise again.32But they did not understand the word. And they were afraid to question him33And they went to Capernaum. And when they were in the house, he questioned them, "What did you discuss on the way?34But they were silent. For indeed, on the way, they had disputed among themselves as to which of them was greater35And sitting down, he called the twelve, and he said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be the last of all and the minister of all.36And taking a child, he set him in their midst. And when he had embraced him, he said to them37"Whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives not me, but him who sent me.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of trust, humility, and service. In the first reading from Sirach, we are reminded that faith in God is tested in the trials and humiliations of life. Just as gold and silver are purified in fire, so too are our hearts refined through suffering. The passage encourages us to endure patiently, trusting that God’s plan is at work even in the midst of difficulty. This is not a passive resignation but an active surrender, rooted in the belief that God’s mercy and restoration will ultimately prevail.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples about true greatness. After predicting his own death and resurrection, he challenges their ambition by placing a child in their midst. He tells them that to be first, one must be last and serve all. This is a radical reversal of the world’s values, where power and status are measured by dominance rather than service. Jesus’ words remind us that our worth is not in what we achieve but in how we love and serve others, especially the most vulnerable. Welcoming a child in his name is welcoming Jesus himself, and ultimately, the Father who sent him.
These readings call us to live out our faith in two ways: first, by trusting God in the midst of life’s challenges, and second, by embracing humility and service in our relationships with others. In a world that often values strength and self-reliance, Jesus shows us that true strength lies in vulnerability and love. Let us ask ourselves: Do we trust God enough to endure trials with patience and hope? Do we serve others with the humility of Christ, seeing his presence in those around us? May we grow in faith and love, becoming instruments of God’s mercy and compassion in the world.