Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 19, 2025
First Reading: Genesis 1.1, 26-31a
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.26Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.28And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."29And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.30And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Psalm 104
1Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,2covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.3He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;4he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.5He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.6You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.7At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them.9You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.10You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills;11they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.12Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.13From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.14You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth15and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.16The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.17In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees.18The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.19He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.20You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about.21The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.22When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.23Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.24O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.25Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.26There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.27These all look to you, to give them their food in due season.28When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.29When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.30When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.31May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works,32who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!33I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.34May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.35Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Second Reading: Romans 6.3-11
3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.7For one who has died has been set free from sin.8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: Luke 24.1-12
1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.2And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,3but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.5And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?6He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,7that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise."8And they remembered his words,9and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.10Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,11but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.12But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at 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.