Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 25, 2023
First Reading: Isaiah 7.10-14; 8.10d
10Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,11Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.13And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Psalm 40
1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.4Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.5Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.6Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.9I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.12For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.14Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.15Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.16Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.17But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
Second Reading: Hebrews 10.4-10
4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.5Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Gospel: Luke 1.26-38
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.37For with God nothing shall be impossible.38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound moments of faith, obedience, and the unfolding of God’s plan for humanity. The first reading from Isaiah presents us with a pivotal moment in the history of God’s people. King Ahaz, faced with the threat of invasion, is offered a sign by God to strengthen his faith. Though Ahaz hesitates, the prophet Isaiah announces one of the most famous prophecies in Scripture: a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel, “God with us.” This sign is not just for Ahaz but for all people, pointing to the deeper truth that God is always present and active in our lives, even in times of uncertainty.
The second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews shifts our focus to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan. It explains that the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, though meaningful, could never fully take away sins. Christ, by contrast, enters the world to do God’s will perfectly, offering his own body as the perfect sacrifice. This passage emphasizes that true worship is not about external rituals but about surrendering our will to God’s will. Christ’s obedience makes us holy, and through his sacrifice, we are united to God in a way that transcends the limitations of the old order.
The Gospel reading brings us to the Annunciation, where Mary, a young virgin, is greeted by the Angel Gabriel. Though she is perplexed and even afraid, Mary responds with extraordinary faith and humility: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” Mary’s yes to God’s plan is the model of Christian discipleship. Like Mary, we are called to trust in God’s providence, even when the circumstances seem impossible or unclear. Her faith is not about understanding every detail but about surrendering to God’s will with openness and courage.
These readings are deeply interconnected. Isaiah’s prophecy of Immanuel finds its fulfillment in the Gospel, where Mary’s son Jesus is revealed as the true Emmanuel, “God with us.” The Letter to the Hebrews bridges the two, showing how Christ’s obedience and sacrifice fulfill the hopes of the Old Testament and make us holy. Together, they remind us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in God’s plan, even when the road ahead is uncertain.
In our daily lives, we are often faced with challenges that test our faith. Like Ahaz, we may hesitate to trust in God’s providence. Like Mary, we are called to say yes to God’s will, even when it seems daunting. And like Christ, we are invited to surrender our own desires and ambitions to the Father’s plan. These readings remind us that God is always with us, and his plan is always greater than our own. Let us, then, approach life with the same humility and faith as Mary, trusting that no word of God is impossible.