Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 28, 2019
First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2.9-13
9For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.10You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.11For you know how, like a father with his children,12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
Psalm 139
1O LORD, you have searched me and known me!2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.4Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.7Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?8If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!9If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.11If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.13For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.16Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.19Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!20They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!21Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?22I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Gospel: Matthew 23.27-32
27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.28So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.29"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,30saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'31Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the integrity of our faith and the way we live it out. In the first reading from 1 Thessalonians, St. Paul reminds us of the selfless dedication of the early missionaries who preached the Gospel with hardship and toil, not burdening anyone, but instead living blamelessly and justly. He emphasizes that the Word of God they shared was not merely human words but the divine Word that transforms hearts. This passage calls us to consider how we receive and live out the Word of God in our own lives. Are we open to its transformative power, or do we treat it as just another piece of advice?
In the Gospel, Jesus delivers a stern warning to the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites because they appear righteous outwardly but are inwardly filled with corruption. He compares them to whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled with decay within. This is a powerful critique of religious hypocrisy, where outward appearances mask inner emptiness. Jesus is not condemning rituals or traditions but highlighting the disconnect between outward piety and inner sincerity. This challenges us to examine our own lives: do our actions and words align with our faith, or are we more concerned with how we appear to others?
These readings remind us that true faith is not about external displays but about inner transformation. St. Paul’s example shows us that living the Gospel means embracing humility, hard work, and a genuine love for others. Jesus’ words warn us against the danger of hypocrisy, urging us instead to cultivate authenticity and integrity. Let us ask ourselves: am I living my faith in a way that reflects the truth of the Gospel, or am I content with a superficial religiosity? May we strive to be people of substance, whose lives are shaped by the Word of God and reflect its power in both our hearts and our actions.