Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 27, 2025
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
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages that invite us to reflect on the authenticity of our faith and the integrity of our actions. The first reading from 1 Thessalonians describes the Apostle Paul’s missionary work, emphasizing his dedication, hard work, and fatherly care for the Thessalonian community. Paul and his companions preached the Gospel not for personal gain but out of love, and they labored tirelessly to ensure they were not a burden to others. They exhorted the Thessalonians to live in a way worthy of God’s call, and they rejoiced because the community received the Word of God as divine, not human, and allowed it to transform their lives.
The Gospel from Matthew presents a stark contrast. Jesus denounces the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Outwardly, they appeared righteous, building monuments to the prophets and claiming to honor them. Yet inwardly, they were filled with corruption and iniquity. Jesus accuses them of being sons of those who persecuted the prophets, implying that their actions align with the sins of their ancestors. This passage serves as a warning against superficial piety and the danger of prioritizing appearances over true conversion of heart.
These readings challenge us to examine our own lives. Like Paul, are we living with sincerity and integrity, allowing the Word of God to transform us? Or are we like the scribes and Pharisees, content with outward appearances while neglecting the inner call to holiness? Jesus calls us to authenticity, to a faith that is not just about rituals or external practices but about a deep, abiding relationship with God. Let us strive to live in such a way that our actions reflect the truth of our faith, and may we always remember that true righteousness is not about what others see but about the condition of our hearts before God.