Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 26, 2019
First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1.1-5, 8b-10
1Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ2Grace and peace to you. We give thanks to God always for all of you, keeping the memory of you in our prayers without ceasing3remembering your work of faith, and hardship, and charity, and enduring hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ, before God our Father4For we know, brothers, beloved of God, of your election5For our Gospel has not been among you in word alone, but also in virtue, and in the Holy Spirit, and with a great fullness, in the same manner as you know we have acted among you for your sake8For from you, the Word of the Lord was spread, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith, which is toward God, has advanced so much so that we do not need to speak to you about anything9For others are reporting among us of the kind of acceptance we had among you, and how you were converted from idols to God, to the service of the living and true God10and to the expectation of his Son from heaven (whom he raised up from the dead), Jesus, who has rescued us from the approaching wrath
Psalm 149
1Alleluia. Sing to the Lord a new song. His praise is in the Church of the saints2Let Israel rejoice in him who made them, and let the sons of Zion exult in their king3Let them praise his name in chorus. Let them sing psalms to him with the timbrel and the psaltery4For the Lord is well pleased with his people, and he will exalt the meek unto salvation5The saints will exult in glory. They will rejoice upon their couches6The exultations of God will be in their throat, and two-edged swords will be in their hands7to obtain vindication among the nations, chastisements among the peoples8to bind their kings with shackles and their nobles with manacles of iron9to obtain judgment over them, as it has been written. This is glory for all his saints. Alleluia
Gospel: Matthew 23.13-22
13So then: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you close the kingdom of heaven before men. For you yourselves do not enter, and those who are entering, you would not permit to enter14Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you consume the houses of widows, praying long prayers. Because of this, you shall receive the greater judgment15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and by land, in order to make one convert. And when he has been converted, you make him twice the son of Hell that you are yourselves16Woe to you, blind guides, who say: ‘Whoever will have sworn by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gold of the temple is obligated.17You are foolish and blind! For which is greater: the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold18And you say: ‘Whoever will have sworn by the altar, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gift that is on the altar is obligated.19How blind you are! For which is greater: the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift20Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all that is on it21And whoever will have sworn by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it22And whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the authenticity of our faith and the integrity of our actions. In the First Reading, Paul commends the Thessalonians for their vibrant faith and their role in spreading the Gospel, despite facing persecution. Their commitment is a testament to the transformative power of genuine belief. In contrast, the Gospel presents Jesus criticizing the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy, highlighting the disconnect between their outward actions and inner sincerity. Jesus emphasizes that true faith is not about external rituals but about living with integrity and compassion.
The Thessalonians' example shows that genuine faith leads to endurance, love, and a desire to share the Good News. Their actions were a natural response to God's grace, inspiring others and spreading the Word beyond their community. Conversely, the Pharisees' hypocrisy, as Jesus points out, stems from a focus on appearances rather than a heartfelt commitment to God's will. Their actions, such as exploiting widows and using oaths to manipulate, reveal a corruption of true religious practice.
In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to examine our own faith and actions. Are we living with the sincerity and love that Paul praises in the Thessalonians, or are we falling into the trap of hypocrisy that Jesus condemns? Let us strive to live with integrity, ensuring our actions reflect our beliefs. By doing so, we become beacons of God's love, spreading the Gospel through our genuine and compassionate lives.