Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 3, 2025
First Reading: Baruch 1.15-22
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Psalm 79
1O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.2They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.3They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.4We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.5How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?6Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;7for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland.8Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.9Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.10Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.11May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.12Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.13Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Gospel: Luke 10.13-16
13"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.14But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.15And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.16"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on sin, repentance, and judgment. The first reading from Baruch is a communal confession of sin, spoken on behalf of the Jewish people during their exile in Babylon. The author acknowledges the people’s unfaithfulness to God, their refusal to listen to the prophets, and their rebellion against the commandments. This confession is not just an admission of guilt but also an act of humility, recognizing that their suffering is a consequence of their sins. The reading ends with a glimmer of hope, as the people turn back to God, seeking mercy and restoration.
In the Gospel, Jesus delivers a stern warning to the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These towns, which had witnessed many miracles during Jesus’ ministry, are condemned for their lack of repentance. Jesus contrasts their hardness of heart with the hypothetical repentance of the pagan cities Tyre and Sidon, suggesting that even those who have not been given as much grace would have responded more faithfully. This passage underscores the gravity of rejecting God’s revelation and the consequences of failing to respond to His call.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Like the exiled Jews in Baruch, we are called to acknowledge our sins and return to the Lord with humility and trust. Like the towns in Luke’s Gospel, we are reminded that God’s gifts and revelations come with great responsibility. We must not take His grace for granted or ignore the opportunities He gives us to repent and grow in holiness. Let us examine our hearts today, asking ourselves whether we are truly listening to God’s voice and responding with faith and obedience. May we, like the people in Baruch, find the courage to confess our sins and seek His mercy, and may we, like the towns Jesus addressed, avoid the hardness of heart that leads to judgment.