Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 21, 2019
First Reading: 1 Maccabees 2.15-29
This reading is not available in the KJV version. Visit the CPDV version to view the reading.
Psalm 50
1The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.4He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.5Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.6And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.7Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.8I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.9I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.10For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.11I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.12If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.13Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?14Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.16But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?17Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.18When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.19Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.20Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.22Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.23Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
Gospel: Luke 19.41-44
41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,42Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.43For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,44And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful stories of faith, courage, and the consequences of rejecting God’s will. The first reading from 1 Maccabees tells the story of Mattathias, a Jewish priest who refused to comply with King Antiochus’ decree to abandon the law of God. When a Jew approached the altar to sacrifice to idols, Mattathias, filled with righteous anger and fidelity to the law, killed both the man and the king’s emissary. His bold act of defiance became a rallying cry for those who sought to remain faithful to God. This passage reminds us that true faith requires courage and the willingness to stand firm, even in the face of overwhelming opposition.
The Gospel reading from Luke presents a stark contrast. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, lamenting the city’s failure to recognize “the time of your visitation.” He foresees the destruction that will come upon the city because its people did not accept the peace God offered through him. Jesus’ sorrow reveals the depth of God’s love and the tragedy of spiritual blindness. Just as Mattathias stood firm in his faith, Jesus calls us to remain open to God’s presence and to recognize the gifts of grace He offers us.
Both readings challenge us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Mattathias’ courage inspires us to stand firm in our faith, even when it is difficult. Jesus’ lament reminds us to remain attentive to God’s presence in our lives and to embrace the peace He offers. In a world filled with distractions and temptations, we are called to be faithful and discerning, trusting in God’s plan and remaining open to His will. Let us strive to live with the courage of Mattathias and the humility to recognize God’s visitation in our lives.