Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 28, 2019
First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2.9-13
9For you remember, brothers, our hardship and weariness. We preached the Gospel of God among you, working night and day, so that we would not be burdensome to any of you10You are witnesses, as is God, of how holy and just and blameless we were with you who have believed11And you know the manner, with each one of you, like a father with his sons12in which we were pleading with you and consoling you, bearing witness, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of God, who has called you into his kingdom and glory13For this reason also, we give thanks to God without ceasing: because, when you had accepted from us the Word of the hearing of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but (as it truly is) as the Word of God, who is working in you who have believed
Psalm 139
1Unto the end. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have examined me, and you have known me2You have known my sitting down and my rising up again3You have understood my thoughts from afar. My path and my fate, you have investigated4And you have foreseen all my ways. For there is no word in my tongue5Behold, O Lord, you have known all things: the newest and the very old. You have formed me, and you have placed your hand over me6Your knowledge has become a wonder to me. It has been reinforced, and I am not able to prevail against it7Where will I go from your Spirit? And where will I flee from your face8If I ascend into heaven, you are there. If I descend into Hell, you are near9If I assume my feathers in early morning, and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea10even there, your hand will lead me forth, and your right hand will hold me11And I said: Perhaps darkness will overwhelm me, and the night will be my illumination, to my delight12But darkness will not be impenetrable to you, and night will illuminate like the day: for just as its darkness is, so also is its light13For you have possessed my temperament. You have supported me from the womb of my mother14I will confess to you, for you have been magnified terribly. Your works are miraculous, as my soul knows exceedingly well15My bone, which you have made in secret, has not been hidden from you, and my substance is in accord with the lower parts of the earth16Your eyes saw my imperfection, and all this shall be written in your book. Days will be formed, and no one shall be in them17But to me, O God, your friends have been greatly honored. Their first ruler has been exceedingly strengthened18I will number them, and they will be more numerous than the sand. I rose up, and I am still with you19O God, if only you would cut down sinners. You men of blood: depart from me20For you say in thought: They will accept your cities in vain21Have I not hated those who hated you, Lord, and wasted away because of your enemies22I have hated them with a perfect hatred, and they have become enemies to me23Examine me, O God, and know my heart. Question me, and know my paths24And see if there might be in me the way of iniquity, and lead me in the way of eternity
Gospel: Matthew 23.27-32
27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed sepulchers, which outwardly appear brilliant to men, yet truly, inside, they are filled with the bones of the dead and with all filth28So also, you certainly appear to men outwardly to be just. But inwardly you are filled with hypocrisy and iniquity29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, who build the sepulchers of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the just30And then you say, ‘If we had been there in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined with them in the blood of the prophets.31And so you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets32Complete, then, the measure of your fathers
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the integrity of our faith and the way we live it out. In the first reading from 1 Thessalonians, St. Paul reminds us of the selfless dedication of the early missionaries who preached the Gospel with hardship and toil, not burdening anyone, but instead living blamelessly and justly. He emphasizes that the Word of God they shared was not merely human words but the divine Word that transforms hearts. This passage calls us to consider how we receive and live out the Word of God in our own lives. Are we open to its transformative power, or do we treat it as just another piece of advice?
In the Gospel, Jesus delivers a stern warning to the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites because they appear righteous outwardly but are inwardly filled with corruption. He compares them to whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled with decay within. This is a powerful critique of religious hypocrisy, where outward appearances mask inner emptiness. Jesus is not condemning rituals or traditions but highlighting the disconnect between outward piety and inner sincerity. This challenges us to examine our own lives: do our actions and words align with our faith, or are we more concerned with how we appear to others?
These readings remind us that true faith is not about external displays but about inner transformation. St. Paul’s example shows us that living the Gospel means embracing humility, hard work, and a genuine love for others. Jesus’ words warn us against the danger of hypocrisy, urging us instead to cultivate authenticity and integrity. Let us ask ourselves: am I living my faith in a way that reflects the truth of the Gospel, or am I content with a superficial religiosity? May we strive to be people of substance, whose lives are shaped by the Word of God and reflect its power in both our hearts and our actions.