Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 19, 2025
First Reading: Genesis 1.1, 26-31a
1In the beginning, God created heaven and earth26And he said: "Let us make Man to our image and likeness. And let him rule over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and the wild beasts, and the entire earth, and every animal that moves on the earth.27And God created man to his own image; to the image of God he created him; male and female, he created them28And God blessed them, and he said, "Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.29And God said: "Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant upon the earth, and all the trees that have in themselves the ability to sow their own kind, to be food for you30and for all the animals of the land, and for all the flying things of the air, and for everything that moves upon the earth and in which there is a living soul, so that they may have these on which to feed." And so it became31And God saw everything that he had made. And they were very good. And it became evening and morning, the sixth day
Psalm 104
1To David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are exceedingly great. You have clothed yourself with confession and beauty2you are dressed with light like a garment, while you stretch out heaven like a tent3You cover its heights with water. You set the clouds as your stairs. You walk upon the wings of the winds4You make your Angels a breath of life, and your ministers a burning fire5You founded the earth upon its stable base. It will not be bent from age to age6The abyss, like a garment, is its clothing. The waters will remain standing above the mountains7At your rebuke, they will flee. At the voice of your thunder, they will dread8The mountains ascend, and the plains descend, to the place which you have founded for them9You have set a limit that they will not cross. And they will not return to cover the earth10You spring forth fountains in steep valleys. The waters will cross through the midst of the mountains11All the wild beasts of the field will drink. The wild donkeys will anticipate in their thirst12Above them, the flying things of the air will dwell. From the midst of the rocks, they will utter voices13You irrigate the mountains from your heights. The earth will be satiated from the fruit of your works14producing grass for cattle and herbs for the service of men. So may you draw bread from the earth15and wine, in order to cheer the heart of man. Then he may gladden his face with oil, and bread will confirm the heart of man16The trees of the field will be saturated, along with the cedars of Lebanon, which he planted17There, the sparrows will make their nests. The leader of them is the house of the heron18The heights of the hills are for the deer; the rock is a refuge for the hedgehog19He has made the moon for seasons; the sun knows its setting20You appointed darkness, and it has become night; all the beasts of the forest will cross through it21The young lions will roar, while searching for and seizing their meal from God22The sun arose, and they were gathered together; and in their dens, they will lie down together23Man will go forth to his work and to his activities, until the evening24How great are your works, O Lord! You have made all things in wisdom. The earth has been filled with your possessions25This sea is great and its hands are spacious. There are creeping things without number: the small animals with the great26There, the ships will pass by this sea-serpent that you have formed to mock them27All these expect you to give them food in due time28What you give to them, they will gather. When you open your hand, they will all be filled with goodness29But if you turn your face away, they will be disturbed. You will take away their breath, and they will fail, and they will return to their dust30You will send forth your Spirit, and they will be created. And you will renew the face of the earth31May the glory of the Lord be for all ages. The Lord will rejoice in his works32He considers the earth, and he makes it tremble. He touches the mountains, and they smoke33I will sing to the Lord with my life. I will sing psalms to my God, as long as I am34May my speech be pleasing to him. Truly, I will take delight in the Lord35Let sinners fade away from the earth, along with the unjust, so that they may not be. Bless the Lord, O my soul
Second Reading: Romans 6.3-11
3Do you not know that those of us who have been baptized in Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death4For through baptism we have been buried with him into death, so that, in the manner that Christ rose from the dead, by the glory of the Father, so may we also walk in the newness of life5For if we have been planted together, in the likeness of his death, so shall we also be, in the likeness of his resurrection6For we know this: that our former selves have been crucified together with him, so that the body which is of sin may be destroyed, and moreover, so that we may no longer serve sin7For he who has died has been justified from sin8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live together with Christ9For we know that Christ, in rising up from the dead, can no longer die: death no longer has dominion over him10For in as much as he died for sin, he died once. But in as much as he lives, he lives for God11And so, you should consider yourselves to be certainly dead to sin, and to be living for God in Christ Jesus our Lord
Gospel: Luke 24.1-12
1Then, on the first Sabbath, at very first light, they went to the tomb, carrying the aromatic spices that they had prepared2And they found the stone rolled back from the tomb3And upon entering, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus4And it happened that, while their minds were still confused about this, behold, two men stood beside them, in shining apparel5Then, since they were afraid and were turning their faces toward the ground, these two said to them: "Why do you seek the living with the dead6He is not here, for he has risen. Recall how he spoke to you, when he was still in Galilee7saying: ‘For the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ 8And they called to mind his words9And returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the others10Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and the other women who were with them, who told these things to the Apostles11But these words seemed to them a delusion. And so they did not believe them12But Peter, rising up, ran to the tomb. And stooping down, he saw the linen cloths positioned alone, and he went away wondering to himself about what had happened
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey from creation to resurrection, exploring our role as stewards of God's world and the transformative power of Christ's victory over sin and death. The passage from Genesis reminds us that we are created in God's image, entrusted with the care of creation. This sacred responsibility is not just about dominion but about nurturing and preserving the world God deemed very good.
The second reading from Romans deepens this understanding by revealing that through baptism, we are united with Christ's death and resurrection. This union calls us to live as new creations, no longer bound by sin but alive for God. Just as creation was an act of divine love, our new life in Christ is a gift that invites us to walk in the light of His grace.
In the Gospel, Luke recounts the discovery of the empty tomb, a testament to Christ's triumph. The women's initial doubt and Peter's subsequent investigation remind us that faith often begins with uncertainty but leads to profound trust. As we reflect on these readings, we are called to embrace our role as stewards of creation and to live as resurrected people, trusting in God's plan even when it seems unclear. Let us, like Peter, seek truth with courage and live as new creations, caring for the world and each other with the love of Christ.