Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 25, 2019
First Reading: Isaiah 7.10-14; 8.10d
10And the Lord spoke further to Ahaz, saying11Ask for a sign for yourself from the Lord your God, from the depths below, even to the heights above12And Ahaz said, "I will not ask, for I will not tempt the Lord.13And he said: "Then listen, O house of David. Is it such a small thing for you to trouble men, that you must also trouble my God14For this reason, the Lord himself will grant to you a sign. Behold, a virgin will conceive, and she will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel
Psalm 40
1Unto the end. A Psalm of David himself. I have waited expectantly for the Lord, and he was attentive to me2And he heard my prayers and he led me out of the pit of misery and the quagmire. And he stationed my feet upon a rock, and he directed my steps3And he sent a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God. Many will see, and they will fear; and they will hope in the Lord4Blessed is the man whose hope is in the name of the Lord, and who has no respect for vanities and absurd falsehoods5You have accomplished your many wonders, O Lord my God, and there is no one similar to you in your thoughts. I have announced and I have spoken: they are multiplied beyond number6Sacrifice and oblation, you did not want. But you have perfected ears for me. Holocaust and sin offering, you did not require7Then I said, "Behold, I draw near." At the head of the book, it has been written of me8that I should do your will. My God, I have willed it. And your law is in the midst of my heart9I have announced your justice in a great Church: behold, I will not restrain my lips. O Lord, you have known it10I have not concealed your justice within my heart. I have spoken your truth and your salvation. I have not concealed your mercy and your truth from a great assembly11O Lord, do not take your tender mercies far from me. Your mercy and your truth ever sustain me12For evils without number have surrounded me. My iniquities have taken hold of me, and I was not able to see. They have been multiplied beyond the hairs of my head. And my heart has forsaken me13Be pleased, O Lord, to rescue me. Look down, O Lord, to help me14Let them together be confounded and awed, who seek after my soul to steal it away. Let them be turned back and be in awe, who wish evils upon me15Let them bear their confusion all at once, who say to me, "Well, well.16Let all who seek you exult and rejoice over you. And let those who love your salvation always say, "May the Lord be magnified.17But I am a beggar and poor. The Lord has been concerned about me. You are my helper and my protector. My God, do not delay
Second Reading: Hebrews 10.4-10
4For it is impossible for sins to be taken away by the blood of oxen and goats5For this reason, as Christ enters into the world, he says: "Sacrifice and oblation, you did not want. But you have fashioned a body for me6Holocausts for sin were not pleasing to you7Then I said, ‘Behold, I draw near.’ At the head of the book, it has been written of me that I should do your will, O God.8In the above, by saying, "Sacrifices, and oblations, and holocausts for sin, you did not want, nor are those things pleasing to you, which are offered according to the law9then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,’ " he takes away the first, so that he may establish what follows10For by this will, we have been sanctified, through the one time oblation of the body of Jesus Christ
Gospel: Luke 1.26-38
26Then, in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee named Nazareth27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary28And upon entering, the Angel said to her: "Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.29And when she had heard this, she was disturbed by his words, and she considered what kind of greeting this might be30And the Angel said to her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God31Behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name: JESUS32He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. And he will reign in the house of Jacob for eternity33And his kingdom shall have no end.34Then Mary said to the Angel, "How shall this be done, since I do not know man?35And in response, the Angel said to her: "The Holy Spirit will pass over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And because of this also, the Holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God36And behold, your cousin Elizabeth has herself also conceived a son, in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who is called barren37For no word will be impossible with God.38Then Mary said: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word." And the Angel departed from her
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound mystery of God’s plan of salvation and our response to it. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear the prophet offering King Ahaz a sign of God’s presence and fidelity—a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, Immanuel, “God with us.” This prophecy, spoken in a time of crisis, points to the hope of divine intervention and the promise of Emmanuel, who would later be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The second reading from Hebrews emphasizes that the sacrifices of the old covenant could not fully take away sins, but Christ’s self-offering, in obedience to the Father’s will, accomplishes what the law could not. This highlights the uniqueness of Christ’s sacrifice and the grace it brings to humanity. In the Gospel, Luke presents the Annunciation, where Mary, in humility and faith, accepts God’s plan to bear the Son of God. Her “Yes” to God’s will becomes the pivotal moment that changes the course of history.
These readings are deeply interconnected. Isaiah’s prophecy of Emmanuel finds its fulfillment in the Gospel, where Mary’s womb bears the Son of God. The letter to the Hebrews bridges the Old and New Testaments, showing how Christ’s sacrifice is the ultimate expression of God’s will and love. Together, they reveal the continuity of God’s plan and the central role of faith and obedience in receiving His grace. Mary’s response—“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word”—stands as a model of trust and surrender to God’s plan.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on our own response to God’s will. Like Mary, we are invited to embrace God’s plan, even when it seems uncertain or challenging. The readings remind us that faith is not about understanding every detail but about trusting in God’s providence. Just as Mary’s “Yes” brought Emmanuel into the world, our “Yes” to God can allow His grace to flow through us, transforming our lives and the lives of those around us. Let us, like Mary, open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and allow God’s will to be done in us. In doing so, we become part of the ongoing story of salvation, living as children of God who trust in His love and provision.