Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 29, 2025
First Reading: 1 John 2.3-11
3We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.7Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.8Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Psalm 96
1Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.2Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.4For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.5For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.6Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.9Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.10Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.11Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it;12let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;13they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.
Gospel: Luke 2.22-35
22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord" ),24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.30For my eyes have seen your salvation,31which you have prepared in the sight of all people,32a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."33The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
Sermon
The first reading from St. John reminds us that our claim to know God is validated not by words, but by deeds—specifically, by observing His commandments. The foundational commandment, both ancient and perpetually new, is to love one another. To say we abide in the light while harboring hatred for a brother is a contradiction, for hatred keeps us in darkness, blinding us to our true path. True love perfects God's charity within us and assures us of our dwelling in Him, compelling us to walk as Christ Himself walked.
In the Gospel, we witness the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, an act of humble obedience to the Mosaic Law. Here, the holy man Simeon, guided by the Holy Spirit, recognizes the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Christ. He proclaims Him to be "a light of revelation to the nations and the glory of your people Israel." This divine light, foretold by prophecy, is the very truth that St. John speaks of. Jesus, the Light, comes into the world not just to illuminate, but also to reveal the hidden thoughts of many hearts, bringing about ruin for some and resurrection for others, a truth that will pierce even Mary's soul.
These readings illuminate each other beautifully. The light St. John speaks of, which dispels darkness and calls us to love, is embodied perfectly in Jesus, whom Simeon recognizes as the "Light of revelation." To walk in this light, as St. John exhorts, means actively choosing love over hatred in our daily lives, allowing the presence of Christ to shine through our actions and interactions. It means permitting His light to penetrate our own hearts, revealing our true dispositions and challenging us to shed any lingering shadows of animosity. Our participation in this divine light is not merely intellectual assent, but a transformative commitment to charity, confirming our authentic relationship with God and revealing to the world the transformative power of His love, even amidst the contradictions and challenges of life.