Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 27, 2025
First Reading: 1 John 1.1-4
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;2For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.4And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Psalm 97
1The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.2Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.3A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.4His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.5The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.6The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.7Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.8Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD.9For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.10Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.11Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.12Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Gospel: John 20.2-8
2Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.3Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.4So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.5And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.6Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,7And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.8Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
Sermon
Our first reading, from the First Letter of John, offers a profound testimony to the tangible reality of Jesus Christ. The apostle declares that he and his fellow witnesses have heard, seen, gazed upon, and even touched the Word of Life. This isn't a myth or a distant concept, but a person they experienced intimately. Their purpose in sharing this eyewitness account is so that we, too, might enter into this same fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and in doing so, find our joy made full. It establishes the concrete foundation of our faith: God truly entered human history, visible and touchable.
The Gospel account from John picks up on this theme of seeing and believing, but in the context of the empty tomb on Resurrection morning. Mary Magdalene's distress sends Peter and the beloved disciple racing to the tomb. The beloved disciple, arriving first, sees the linen cloths lying undisturbed, and the head covering neatly rolled up in a separate place. These details, far from suggesting a frantic theft, speak volumes. When he enters, he sees these signs, and in that moment, he believes. This isn't yet a direct encounter with the Risen Lord, but an act of faith born from observing the evidence, confirming that Jesus was not merely gone, but Risen in a mysterious, yet real, way.
Both passages call us to ground our faith not in abstract ideas, but in the historical and transformative reality of Jesus Christ. Just as the apostles bore witness to a Christ they experienced physically, and the beloved disciple believed based on the evidence of the empty tomb, so too are we invited to encounter the Risen Lord in our lives. The testimony of the early Church provides the foundation, inviting us into a fellowship that brings complete joy. Our spiritual journey, then, involves a constant turning towards the truth of the Incarnation and Resurrection, seeking out the signs of God's presence, and responding with a faith that sees and believes, leading us into deeper communion with Him.