Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 7, 2025
First Reading: Wisdom 9.13-18
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Psalm 90
1Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.3Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.4For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.5Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.6In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.7For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.8Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.9For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.11Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.12So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.13Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.14O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.15Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.16Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Second Reading: Philemon 1.9b-10, 12-17
9Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.10I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:12Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:13Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:14But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.15For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;16Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?17If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
Gospel: Luke 14.25-33
25And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,26If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.28For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?29Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,30Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.31Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.33So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the nature of discipleship and our relationship with God. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom reminds us of the limitations of human understanding and the need for divine wisdom. It highlights our inability to fully grasp God’s plans without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This humbles us, acknowledging that our perceptions and foresight are incomplete, and that true wisdom comes from above.
The second reading from the Letter to Philemon offers a powerful example of reconciliation and compassion. Paul appeals to Philemon to welcome Onesimus, a former slave, as a brother in Christ. This reading challenges us to see others through the eyes of God, valuing spiritual bonds over worldly relationships. It calls us to live out our faith in practical ways, prioritizing love and forgiveness.
In the Gospel, Jesus presents a radical challenge: to follow Him, we must be willing to let go of everything, even our closest relationships and possessions. This is not about hating our loved ones, but about recognizing that our ultimate allegiance is to God. Jesus uses the parables of the tower builder and the king going to war to emphasize the need for discernment and commitment. True discipleship requires us to count the cost and be willing to carry our cross daily.
These readings remind us that following Christ is not a part-time endeavor but a total commitment. They call us to humility, compassion, and radical trust in God. As we navigate our daily lives, let us ask for the wisdom to see beyond our limitations, the grace to love as God loves, and the courage to embrace the challenges of discipleship with faith and perseverance.