Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 20, 2025
First Reading: 1 Maccabees 2.15-29
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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
The readings today invite us to reflect on fidelity to God and the consequences of spiritual blindness. In the first reading from 1 Maccabees, we encounter Mattathias, a Jewish priest who refuses to compromise his faith in the face of persecution. When ordered by King Antiochus to sacrifice to idols and abandon the law of Moses, Mattathias stands firm, even to the point of killing the Jew who would comply with the king’s decree. His boldness is rooted in his deep conviction that the law of God is non-negotiable, and he calls others to join him in fidelity to the covenant. This passage reminds us that our faith is not a convenience but a commitment that may require sacrifice and courage in the face of opposition.
In the Gospel, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, lamenting the city’s failure to recognize the time of its visitation. Jesus’ tears reveal his deep sorrow over the spiritual blindness of those who have rejected him. The destruction he prophesies is not a desire but a consequence of turning away from God’s offer of peace. This passage challenges us to examine our own hearts: are we open to God’s presence in our lives, or are we too caught up in our own ways to recognize his visitation?
The connection between the two readings lies in their emphasis on fidelity and spiritual awareness. Mattathias’ courage to stand firm in the face of persecution is a testament to the power of faith, while Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem warns us of the dangers of spiritual complacency. Together, they invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Are we willing to stand firm in our faith, even when it is difficult? Are we attentive to God’s presence in our lives, or are we allowing the distractions of the world to blind us to his grace?
As we go about our daily lives, let us ask for the courage of Mattathias and the openness of heart that Jesus desires. May we remain faithful to God’s law, even in the face of challenges, and may we never grow complacent in our spiritual lives. Let us strive to recognize and embrace the ways in which God visits us, that we might live in peace and fidelity to his will.