Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 31, 2025
First Reading: 1 John 2.18-21
18Little sons, it is the last hour. And, as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have arrived. By this, we know that it is the last hour19They went out from among us, but they were not of us. For, if they had been of us, certainly they would have remained with us. But in this way, it is made manifest that none of them are of us20Yet you have the anointing of the Holy One, and you know everything21I have not written to you as to ones who are ignorant of the truth, but as to ones who know the truth. For no lie is of the truth
Psalm 96
1A Canticle of David himself, when the house was built after the captivity. Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord, all the earth2Sing to the Lord and bless his name. Announce his salvation from day to day3Announce his glory among the Gentiles, his miracles among all peoples4For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. He is terrible, beyond all gods5For all the gods of the Gentiles are demons, but the Lord made the heavens6Confession and beauty are in his sight. Sanctity and magnificence are in his sanctuary7Bring to the Lord, you natives of the nations, bring to the Lord glory and honor8Bring to the Lord glory for his name. Lift up sacrifices, and enter into his courts9Adore the Lord in his holy court. Let the entire earth be shaken before his face10Say among the Gentiles: The Lord has reigned. For he has even corrected the whole world, which will not be shaken. He will judge the peoples with fairness11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth exult; let the sea and all its fullness be moved12The fields and all the things that are in them will be glad. Then all the trees of the forest will rejoic13before the face of the Lord: for he arrives. For he arrives to judge the earth. He will judge the whole world with fairness and the peoples with his truth
Gospel: John 1.1-18
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word2He was with God in the beginning3All things were made through Him, and nothing that was made was made without Him4Life was in Him, and Life was the light of men5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it6There was a man sent by God, whose name was John7He arrived as a witness to offer testimony about the Light, so that all would believe through him8He was not the Light, but he was to offer testimony about the Light9The true Light, which illuminates every man, was coming into this world10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him11He went to his own, and his own did not accept him12Yet whoever did accept him, those who believed in his name, he gave them the power to become the sons of God13These are born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God14And the Word became flesh, and he lived among us, and we saw his glory, glory like that of an only-begotten son from the Father, full of grace and truth15John offers testimony about him, and he cries out, saying: "This is the one about whom I said: ‘He who is to come after me, has been placed ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 16And from his fullness, we all have received, even grace for grace17For the law was given though Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ18No one ever saw God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he himself has described him
Sermon
Today's readings offer a profound understanding of who Christ is and how we are called to respond to Him. The Gospel of John opens with a majestic declaration of Jesus as the eternal Word of God, the creator of all, who became flesh and lived among us, bringing grace and truth. He is the true Light, illuminating humanity, and through Him, those who accept Him are empowered to become children of God. This divine truth provides the backdrop for the First Letter of John, which speaks of the "last hour" and the emergence of "antichrists" – those who deny essential truths about Christ and who have separated themselves from the believing community. John assures us that, despite these challenges, we possess the anointing of the Holy One, enabling us to know the truth.
These passages are deeply interconnected, presenting both the profound reality of Christ and the necessary discernment required of believers. John's prologue reveals the unshakeable foundation of our faith: Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, the source of life and light. When we grasp this truth, we are equipped to understand the warnings in the First Letter of John. The "antichrists" are those who reject this fundamental identity of Christ, denying the very Light that has come into the world. In our own lives, we are constantly faced with voices and ideologies that seek to diminish Christ or distort His message. Our anointing, given to us by the Holy Spirit, empowers us to recognize these falsehoods, drawing us back to the unwavering truth revealed in the Incarnate Word.
The call for us today is to embrace the Light that came into the world, allowing the Word to continually enlighten our understanding and guide our actions. By believing in His name, we live out our identity as children of God, born not of human will but of God Himself. This means living with integrity, constantly discerning what aligns with the grace and truth of Jesus Christ, and rejecting anything that seeks to undermine His divine person or His saving work. We are not left to flounder in darkness or ignorance; through our faith and the indwelling Spirit, we are given the wisdom to navigate the complexities of our world, remaining steadfast in the truth of who Christ is and what He calls us to be.