Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 25, 2024
First Reading: 1 Peter 5.5b-14
5Similarly, young persons, be subject to the elders. And infuse all humility among one another, for God resists the arrogant, but to the humble he gives grace6And so, be humbled under the powerful hand of God, so that he may exalt you in the time of visitation7Cast all your cares upon him, for he takes care of you8Be sober and vigilant. For your adversary, the devil, is like a roaring lion, traveling around and seeking those whom he might devour9Resist him by being strong in faith, being aware that the same passions afflict those who are your brothers in the world10But the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself perfect, confirm, and establish us, after a brief time of suffering11To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen12I have written briefly, through Sylvanus, whom I consider to be a faithful brother to you, begging and testifying that this is the true grace of God, in which you have been established13The Church which is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you, as does my son, Mark14Greet one another with a holy kiss. Grace be to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen
Psalm 89
1The understanding of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing the mercies of the Lord in eternity. I will announce your truth with my mouth, from generation to generation2For you have said: Mercy will be built in the heavens, unto eternity. Your truth will be prepared there3I have set up a covenant with my elect. I have sworn to David my servant4I will prepare your offspring, even in eternity. And I will build up your throne, from generation to generation5The heavens will confess your miracles, Lord, and also your truth, in the Church of the saints6For who among the clouds is equal to the Lord? Who among the sons of God is like God7God is glorified by the counsel of the saints. He is great and terrible above all those who are around him8O Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? You are powerful, Lord, and your truth is all around you9You rule over the power of the sea, and you even mitigate the movement of its waves10You have humbled the arrogant one, like one who has been wounded. You have scattered your enemies with the arm of your strength11Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth. You founded the whole world in all its fullness12You created the north and the sea. Tabor and Hermon will exult in your name13Your arm acts with power. Let your hand be strengthened, and let your right hand be exalted14Justice and judgment are the preparation of your throne. Mercy and truth will precede your face15Blessed is the people that knows jubilation. They will walk in the light of your countenance, O Lord16and they will exult in your name all day long, and they will be exalted in your justice17For you are the glory of their virtue, and in your goodness, our horn will be exalted18For our assumption is of the Lord, and it is of our king, the holy one of Israel19Then you spoke in a vision to your holy ones, and you said: I have stationed help with the powerful one, and I have exalted the elect one from my people20I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil21For my hand will assist him, and my arm will fortify him22The enemy will have no advantage over him, nor will the son of iniquity be positioned to harm him23And I will cut down his enemies before his face. And those who hate him, I will turn to flight24And my truth and my mercy will be with him. And his horn will be exalted in my name25And I will place his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers26He will invoke me: "You are my father, my God, and the support of my salvation.27And I will make him the first-born, preeminent before the kings of the earth28I will preserve my mercy for him eternally, and my covenant for him faithfully29And I will set his offspring from generation to generation, and his throne like the days of heaven30But if his sons abandon my law, and if they do not walk in my judgments31if they profane my justices, and if they do not keep my commandments32I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with a beating33But I will not scatter my mercy from him, and I will not do harm to my truth34And I will not profane my covenant, and I will not make void that which proceeds from my lips35I have sworn by my holiness one time: I will not lie to David36his offspring will remain for eternity. And his throne will be like the sun in my sight37and, like the moon, it is perfected in eternity, and it is a faithful witness in heaven38Yet, truly, you have rejected and despised, you have pushed away, my Christ39You have overthrown the covenant of your servant. You have profaned his sanctuary on earth40You have destroyed all his fences. You have made his territory dreadful41All who pass by the way have plundered him. He has become a disgrace to his neighbors42You have exalted the right hand of those who oppress him. You have brought joy to all his enemies43You have diverted the help of his sword, and you have not assisted him in battle44You have torn him away from cleansing, and you have smashed his throne down to the ground45You have reduced the days of his time. You have flooded him with confusion46How long, O Lord? Will you turn away unto the end? Will your wrath flare up like a fire47Remember what my substance is. For could you really have appointed all the sons of men in vain48Who is the man that will live, and yet not see death? Who will rescue his own soul from the hand of the underworld49O Lord, where are your mercies of antiquity, just as you swore to David in your truth50Be mindful, O Lord, of the disgrace of your servants (which I have sustained in my sinews) among many nations51With these, your enemies have reproached you, O Lord; with these, they have reproached the commutation of your Christ52Blessed is the Lord for all eternity. Amen. Amen
Gospel: Mark 16.15-20
15And he said to them: "Go forth to the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature16Whoever will have believed and been baptized will be saved. Yet truly, whoever will not have believed will be condemned17Now these signs will accompany those who believe. In my name, they shall cast out demons. They will speak in new languages18They will take up serpents, and, if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them. They shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they will be well.19And indeed, the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and he sits at the right hand of God20Then they, setting out, preached everywhere, with the Lord cooperating and confirming the word by the accompanying signs
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the call to live as humble and courageous disciples of Christ. In the first reading from 1 Peter, we are reminded to clothe ourselves in humility and to cast all our anxieties on God, for he cares for us. Peter encourages us to remain vigilant and to resist the devil, who seeks to devour the unwary. He assures us that our sufferings are temporary and that God, the giver of all grace, will perfect and establish us in his eternal glory. The letter concludes with a greeting from the Church in Babylon and a reminder that we are all part of one body in Christ.
In the Gospel, Mark recounts the final commission of Jesus to his disciples before his ascension. Jesus commands them to "go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature." This mission is not without its challenges, but Jesus assures them that signs will accompany those who believe—casting out demons, speaking new languages, and healing the sick. The Gospel ends with the disciples setting out to preach everywhere, with the Lord himself confirming the word through the signs that follow.
These readings are deeply connected. Both emphasize the call to trust in God’s providence and to live out our faith with courage and humility. Peter reminds us that our struggles are not unique and that we are part of a larger community of believers. Mark’s Gospel, on the other hand, calls us to action—preaching the Gospel and living out our faith in a way that reflects the power and love of Christ. Together, they remind us that we are called to be both steadfast in our faith and proactive in sharing it with others.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How do we live out our faith in the midst of challenges? Do we approach life with the humility and trust that Peter encourages, or do we allow fear and arrogance to guide us? The Gospel reminds us that we are not alone in this mission; Christ is always with us, confirming the word through the signs of his presence in our lives. Let us strive to be humble, courageous, and faithful disciples, trusting in God’s grace and living out our call to share the Good News with the world.