Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 20, 2025

First Reading: 1 Maccabees 2.15-29

¹⁵And those who had been sent from king Antiochus came to that place, to compel those who fled into the city of Modin to immolate, and to burn frankincense, and to depart from the law of God¹⁶And many of the people of Israel consented and came to them. But Mattathias and his sons stood firm¹⁷And those who had been sent from Antiochus, responding, said to Mattathias: "You are a ruler, and very splendid and great in this city, and you are adorned with sons and brothers¹⁸Therefore, approach first, and carryout the order of the king, as all the nations have done, and the men of Judah, and those who remained in Jerusalem. And you and your sons will be among the friends of the king, and enriched with gold and silver and many gifts.¹⁹And Mattathias responded, and he said with a loud voice: "Even if all nations obey king Antiochus, so that each one departs from the service of the law of his fathers and consents to his commandments²⁰I and my sons and my brothers will obey the law of our fathers²¹May God be forgiving to us. It is not useful for us to abandon the law and the justices of God²²We will not listen to the words of king Antiochus, nor will we sacrifice, transgressing the commandments of our law, so as to set out on another way.²³And, as he ceased speaking these words, a certain Jew approached in the sight of all to sacrifice to the idols upon the altar in the city of Modin, according to the order of the king²⁴And Mattathias saw, and he grieved, and his temperament trembled, and his fury was enkindled according to the judgment of the law, and leaping up, he slaughtered him on the altar²⁵Moreover, the man whom king Antiochus had sent, who compelled them to immolate, he killed at the same time, and he destroyed the altar²⁶and he was zealous for the law, just as Phinehas did to Zimri, the son of Salomi²⁷And Mattathias exclaimed with a loud voice in the city, saying, "All who hold zeal for the law, maintaining the covenant, let them follow me.²⁸And he and his sons fled to the mountains, and they left behind whatever they had in the city²⁹Then many who sought judgment and justice went down into the desert

Psalm 50

Psalms

Chapter 50

¹A Psalm of Asaph. The God of gods, the Lord has spoken, and he has called the earth, from the rising of the sun even to its setting²from Zion, the brilliance of his beauty³God will arrive manifestly. Our God also will not keep silence. A fire will flare up in his sight, and a mighty tempest will surround him⁴He will call to heaven from above, and to the earth, to discern his people⁵Gather his holy ones to him, you who order his covenant above sacrifices⁶And the heavens will announce his justice. For God is the judge⁷Listen, my people, and I will speak. Listen, Israel, and I will testify for you. I am God, your God⁸I will not reprove you for your sacrifices. Moreover, your holocausts are ever in my sight⁹I will not accept calves from your house, nor he-goats from your flocks¹⁰For all the wild beasts of the forest are mine: the cattle on the hills and the oxen¹¹I know all the flying things of the air, and the beauty of the field is with me¹²If I should be hungry, I would not tell you: for the whole world is mine, and all its plentitude¹³Shall I gnaw on the flesh of bulls? Or would I drink the blood of goats¹⁴Offer to God the sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High¹⁵And call upon me in the day of tribulation. I will rescue you, and you will honor me¹⁶But to the sinner, God has said: Why do you discourse on my justices, and take up my covenant through your mouth¹⁷Truly, you have hated discipline, and you have cast my sermons behind you¹⁸If you saw a thief, you ran with him, and you have placed your portion with adulterers¹⁹Your mouth has abounded with malice, and your tongue has concocted deceits²⁰Sitting, you spoke against your brother, and you set up a scandal against your mother’s son²¹These things you have done, and I was silent. You thought, unjustly, that I ought to be like you. But I will reprove you, and I will set myself against your face²²Understand these things, you who forget God; lest at any time, he might quickly take you away, and there would be no one to rescue you²³The sacrifice of praise will honor me. And in that place is the journey by which I will reveal to him the salvation of God

Gospel: Luke 19.41-44

Luke

Chapter 19

⁴¹And when he drew near, seeing the city, he wept over it, saying⁴²"If only you had known, indeed even in this your day, which things are for your peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes⁴³For the days will overtake you. And your enemies will encircle you with a valley. And they will surround you and hem you in on every side⁴⁴And they will knock you down to the ground, with your sons who are in you. And they will not leave stone upon stone within you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on fidelity to God and the consequences of spiritual blindness. In the first reading from 1 Maccabees, we encounter Mattathias, a Jewish priest who refuses to compromise his faith in the face of persecution. When ordered by King Antiochus to sacrifice to idols and abandon the law of Moses, Mattathias stands firm, even to the point of killing the Jew who would comply with the king’s decree. His boldness is rooted in his deep conviction that the law of God is non-negotiable, and he calls others to join him in fidelity to the covenant. This passage reminds us that our faith is not a convenience but a commitment that may require sacrifice and courage in the face of opposition. In the Gospel, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, lamenting the city’s failure to recognize the time of its visitation. Jesus’ tears reveal his deep sorrow over the spiritual blindness of those who have rejected him. The destruction he prophesies is not a desire but a consequence of turning away from God’s offer of peace. This passage challenges us to examine our own hearts: are we open to God’s presence in our lives, or are we too caught up in our own ways to recognize his visitation? The connection between the two readings lies in their emphasis on fidelity and spiritual awareness. Mattathias’ courage to stand firm in the face of persecution is a testament to the power of faith, while Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem warns us of the dangers of spiritual complacency. Together, they invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Are we willing to stand firm in our faith, even when it is difficult? Are we attentive to God’s presence in our lives, or are we allowing the distractions of the world to blind us to his grace? As we go about our daily lives, let us ask for the courage of Mattathias and the openness of heart that Jesus desires. May we remain faithful to God’s law, even in the face of challenges, and may we never grow complacent in our spiritual lives. Let us strive to recognize and embrace the ways in which God visits us, that we might live in peace and fidelity to his will.