Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 21, 2025
First Reading: Isaiah 7.10-14
10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,11"Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."12But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test."13And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Psalm 24
1The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,2for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.3Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.5He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.6Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah7Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.8Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!9Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.10Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah
Second Reading: Romans 1.1-7
1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,2which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,3concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh4and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,5through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,6including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,7To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel: Matthew 1.18-24
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.19And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.20But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:23"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel"(which means, God with us).24When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
Sermon
Today's readings unfold a beautiful tapestry of divine promise and its fulfillment, centered on the coming of our Lord. In Isaiah, we hear God, through the prophet, offer King Ahaz a sign of reassurance amidst political turmoil. When Ahaz refuses, God declares He will nonetheless provide one: "Behold, a virgin will conceive, and she will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel." This ancient prophecy finds its stunning realization in Matthew's Gospel. Here, we witness Joseph grappling with the mysterious pregnancy of his betrothed, Mary. An angel appears in a dream to affirm the divine origin of the child, conceived by the Holy Spirit, instructing Joseph to accept Mary as his wife and name the son Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew explicitly connects this miraculous birth to Isaiah's prophecy, revealing Jesus as Immanuel, "God is with us."
Paul's letter to the Romans further frames this mystery, asserting that Jesus Christ, born of David's lineage according to the flesh, is truly the Son of God, promised beforehand through the prophets. He proclaims that through Jesus, we have received grace and an apostleship for the obedience of faith among all nations. The interconnectedness of these readings reminds us that God's plan for salvation is not a spontaneous event, but a meticulously woven design unfolding across centuries, culminating in the Incarnation. In our own lives, when confronted with the unexpected or the seemingly impossible, like Joseph, we are called to trust in God's mysterious ways. His presence is not distant; He is Immanuel, "God with us," actively involved in our personal stories, guiding us toward salvation and inviting our humble, faithful obedience, even when His path defies our human understanding.