Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 20, 2025
First Reading: 1 Maccabees 2.15-29
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Psalm 50
1The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.3Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.4He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:5"Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"6The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.8Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.9I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.10For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.11I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.12"If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.13Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?14Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,15and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."16But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?17For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.18If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers.19"You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit.20You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son.21These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.22"Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!23The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!"
Gospel: Luke 19.41-44
41And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,42saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.43For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side44and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know 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.