Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 27, 2025
First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2.9-13
9For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.10Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:11As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,12That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.13For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Psalm 139
1O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.19Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.20For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.21Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?22I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Gospel: Matthew 23.27-32
27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,30And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages that invite us to reflect on the authenticity of our faith and the integrity of our actions. The first reading from 1 Thessalonians describes the Apostle Paul’s missionary work, emphasizing his dedication, hard work, and fatherly care for the Thessalonian community. Paul and his companions preached the Gospel not for personal gain but out of love, and they labored tirelessly to ensure they were not a burden to others. They exhorted the Thessalonians to live in a way worthy of God’s call, and they rejoiced because the community received the Word of God as divine, not human, and allowed it to transform their lives.
The Gospel from Matthew presents a stark contrast. Jesus denounces the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Outwardly, they appeared righteous, building monuments to the prophets and claiming to honor them. Yet inwardly, they were filled with corruption and iniquity. Jesus accuses them of being sons of those who persecuted the prophets, implying that their actions align with the sins of their ancestors. This passage serves as a warning against superficial piety and the danger of prioritizing appearances over true conversion of heart.
These readings challenge us to examine our own lives. Like Paul, are we living with sincerity and integrity, allowing the Word of God to transform us? Or are we like the scribes and Pharisees, content with outward appearances while neglecting the inner call to holiness? Jesus calls us to authenticity, to a faith that is not just about rituals or external practices but about a deep, abiding relationship with God. Let us strive to live in such a way that our actions reflect the truth of our faith, and may we always remember that true righteousness is not about what others see but about the condition of our hearts before God.