Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 4, 2025
First Reading: Isaiah 26.1-6
1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.2Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.3You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.4Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.5For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust.6The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy."
Psalm 118
1Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!2Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever."3Let the house of Aaron say, "His steadfast love endures forever."4Let those who fear the LORD say, "His steadfast love endures forever."5Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.6The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?7The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.8It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.9It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.10All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!11They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!12They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!13I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.14The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.15Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,16the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"17I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.18The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.19Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.20This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.21I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.22The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.24This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.25Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!26Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.27The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.29Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Gospel: Matthew 7.21, 24-27
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.24"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Sermon
The prophet Isaiah sings of a day when God's people will celebrate in Zion, the city of their strength, where the just who guard the truth will enter. God is revealed as the eternal rock, who humbles the proud and lifts up the poor, showcasing His everlasting justice and steadfastness. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus delivers a crucial warning, reminding us that merely professing "Lord, Lord" will not open the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead, true discipleship requires actively doing the will of the Father. This teaching is vividly illustrated by the parable of the wise builder who establishes his house on solid rock, and the foolish builder who constructs his on shifting sand, underscoring the vital importance of practical obedience.
These readings resonate deeply, both pointing to the essential nature of a firm foundation for our lives. Isaiah's imagery of God as the "city of our strength" and the "Lord God almighty forever" provides the ultimate, unshakeable rock upon which we are called to build. The "just people who guard the truth" who are invited into Zion are precisely those whom Jesus identifies as hearing his words and putting them into practice, thereby building on a secure foundation. Just as God promises to humble the lofty and elevate the humble, Jesus warns that those who only profess faith without genuine obedience will find their spiritual house unable to withstand life's inevitable storms. Our daily choices and actions are constantly shaping the structure of our lives; each decision to live according to God's commandments lays another stone on that enduring rock, making our spiritual edifice strong against trials and temptations.
The profound lesson for us today is that our faith must extend beyond mere words or fleeting sentiment; it must be a dynamic, lived reality rooted in active obedience to God's will. When we truly place our trust in the Lord, as Isaiah implores, and when we diligently apply Jesus's teachings in our daily walk, we are building our lives on an eternal foundation that will endure any challenge or adversity. Let us therefore examine the foundations of our own spiritual lives, ensuring they rest not on the shifting sands of superficiality or convenience, but on the solid rock of Christ's commands, translated into our daily actions, leading to lasting peace and true life in His Kingdom.