Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 4, 2025

First Reading: Acts 20.28-38

²⁸Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.²⁹I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.³⁰Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.³¹So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.³²"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.³³I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.³⁴You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.³⁵In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"³⁶When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.³⁷They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.³⁸What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Psalm 68

Psalms

Chapter 68

¹May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.²As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.³But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.⁴Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds - his name is the LORD - and rejoice before him.⁵A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.⁶God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.⁷When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah⁸the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.⁹You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.¹⁰Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.¹¹The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:¹²"Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder.¹³Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold."¹⁴When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.¹⁵The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan.¹⁶Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever?¹⁷The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.¹⁸When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious- that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.¹⁹Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah²⁰Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.²¹Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.²²The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,²³that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share."²⁴Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.²⁵In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines.²⁶Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.²⁷There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.²⁸Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts.³⁰Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.³¹Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God.³²Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah³³to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.³⁴Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.³⁵You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

Gospel: John 17.11b-19

John

Chapter 17

¹¹I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one.¹²While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.¹³"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.¹⁴I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.¹⁵My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.¹⁶They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.¹⁷Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.¹⁸As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.¹⁹For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of transition and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Acts depicts Paul's poignant farewell to the Ephesian elders, as he prepares them for his departure. Paul, aware of the challenges ahead, urges the elders to guard the flock, warning them against false teachers and commending them to God's care. This scene underscores Paul's deep commitment to the Church and his trust in God's providence. The Gospel from John presents Jesus in prayer, seeking protection and sanctification for His disciples. Jesus, on the eve of His Passion, prays that His followers may be unified and set apart for their mission in the world. This prayer highlights Jesus' role as the divine Shepherd, who sends His disciples into the world, just as He was sent, to continue His work. Both readings emphasize the themes of leadership, protection, and mission. Paul and Jesus exemplify true leadership by entrusting others to carry on their work. They remind us that our faith is not for isolation but for engagement with the world. As we navigate life's challenges, we are called to remain faithful, trusting in God's plan and persevering in our mission to spread His word. Let us draw strength from these readings, embracing our role in the Body of Christ, and trust in God's grace to guide and protect us.