Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 19, 2025
First Reading: Genesis 1.1, 26-31a
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.26Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.28God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."29Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food." And it was so.31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.
Psalm 104
1Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.2He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent3and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.4He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.5He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.6You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.7But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;8they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them.9You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.10He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.11They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.12The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.13He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.14He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth:15wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.16The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.17There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees.18The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys.19The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.20You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.21The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.22The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.23Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.24How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.25There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small.26There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.27These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.28When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.29When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.30When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.31May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works-32he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.33I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.34May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.35But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD.
Second Reading: Romans 6.3-11
3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: Luke 24.1-12
1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:7'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"8Then they remembered his words.9When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.11But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.12Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey from creation to resurrection, exploring our role as stewards of God's world and the transformative power of Christ's victory over sin and death. The passage from Genesis reminds us that we are created in God's image, entrusted with the care of creation. This sacred responsibility is not just about dominion but about nurturing and preserving the world God deemed very good.
The second reading from Romans deepens this understanding by revealing that through baptism, we are united with Christ's death and resurrection. This union calls us to live as new creations, no longer bound by sin but alive for God. Just as creation was an act of divine love, our new life in Christ is a gift that invites us to walk in the light of His grace.
In the Gospel, Luke recounts the discovery of the empty tomb, a testament to Christ's triumph. The women's initial doubt and Peter's subsequent investigation remind us that faith often begins with uncertainty but leads to profound trust. As we reflect on these readings, we are called to embrace our role as stewards of creation and to live as resurrected people, trusting in God's plan even when it seems unclear. Let us, like Peter, seek truth with courage and live as new creations, caring for the world and each other with the love of Christ.