Daily Readings - Thu Aug 28 2025
1 Thessalonians
7Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.8For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Matthew
42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages about faith, vigilance, and the call to live as disciples of Christ. The first reading from 1 Thessalonians expresses St. Paul’s deep affection and concern for the early Christian community. Despite the trials and tribulations they face, Paul finds joy in their steadfast faith. He prays for their continued growth in love and for the grace to see them again, that he might help complete what is lacking in their faith. This passage highlights Paul’s paternal care for his spiritual children and his desire for their holiness and blamelessness before God.
The Gospel from Matthew takes us into a different but complementary theme. Jesus warns us to be vigilant and prepared for His return, using the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servants. The faithful servant is prudent, trustworthy, and hardworking, while the unfaithful servant becomes complacent and abusive when he thinks his master is delayed. Jesus emphasizes that we do not know the hour of His return, so we must always be ready, living as faithful stewards of the gifts and responsibilities entrusted to us.
Both readings remind us that our faith is not a passive reality but an active way of life. Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians and Jesus’ call to vigilance invite us to reflect on how we are living our daily lives. Are we growing in love and holiness? Are we faithful in fulfilling our duties and caring for one another? The moral lesson is clear: we are called to live with purpose and integrity, trusting in God’s plan and remaining prepared to meet Him at any moment. Let us ask for the grace to be faithful servants, living with hope and love, so that when the Lord comes, He may find us ready and fruitful in our faith.