Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection December 21, 2025

21st December 2025 (Sunday)

Psalter: Week 4

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14

In those days: The Lord spoke to Ahaz: “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6. R. (7c and 10b)

R/. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory

Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel

R/. Alleluia

Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife.

Daily Gospel Reflection

Sunday – 4th Sunday of Advent

Main Point: God never ignores or despises human cooperation and contribution, even though He is all-powerful

1. We are fast approaching the holy Christmas. The celebration of the Saviour’s birth is around the corner. More and more we are impressed with the marvellous ways of God’s way of working with humans. This can be one point that can strike us deep and straight.

2. God is omnipotent. He does not need at all our collaboration and assistance. Yet He always seeks to involve human persons. Very often, it is the simple and humble in the sight of the society, whom He chooses to be His partners and collaborators in His eternal plan of salvation and continued renewal of the world.

3. God values human persons. He always gives them a profound sense of respect and treats them with the same spirit. He assigns them a very significant role and function in His eternal plans and designs. He seeks their cooperation and assistance in carrying out these plans.

4. God never undervalues the dignity and the scope of human participation and contribution. It is not because He cannot do without us, but only because He loves us and wants to show it concretely. True love always values loved ones, safeguards their dignity, elevates it, and puts it in play.

5. For sure, the initiative and the driving force of every benevolent and salvific intervention and action is God’s. However, the human persons who are involved and who cooperate, have their place. They are not indifferent or inactive, leaving everything to God to bother about. Instead, they wholeheartedly play their part and thus merit and deserve their special grace and privilege.

6. It is very remarkable how figures like John the Baptist, Joseph, and Mary are given significant roles in the mission of incarnation and salvation. Thus, today we have the figure of Joseph who plays a key role in God’s plan of incarnation, precisely to be the spouse of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus.

7. Joseph proves himself worthy of this unique grace, conferred on him, by “being just”. What is this “justice”? A right understanding of Joseph being “just” is so vital for our present times. It can be corrective, preventive, and guiding. His justice shows very clearly how shallow and defective is our modern justice.

8. We see a dry justice, drained of charity. We see self-interests disguised in the garb of justice. We see aggression, hostility, and violence in the name of justice. This is not the right and just of being just. This is a false way of pursuing justice which does so much injustice to true justice.

9. On the contrary, Joseph is “just”. For he is bothered “not of what is his right” but “of what is other’s right”. He makes no fuss about his right as the spouse of Mary to denounce her publicly for her apparent infidelity. Rather he is deeply concerned about her right to dignity and respectability as a woman.

10. He is just because he is bothered “not of what is right for him” but “of what is right for the other”. He did not cling adamantly to what is right according to his point of view. He did not make big his own ideas and opinions. But he tried to make room for what can be right according to Mary, from her perspective, from her situation as a young girl.

11. Joseph is just because he is bothered “not of what is good for him” but “of what is good for the other”. He did not want to create a scene in the public, by denouncing Mary, which is good for him as a husband of honour. But he declined to do so because he knew it was good for Mary.

12. Finally, he is just because he is bothered “not of doing his rightful will” but “of doing what is right in God’s will”. Even though he already decided to leave Mary privately, he gave room for God’s will. When he knew it was all according to God’s plan, he immediately deserted his plan and readily submitted to God’s will.

My Practice: True justice can never be devoid of charity toward others and of surrender to God’s will. May Joseph’s true justice heal all the false ways of justice! May all of us be truly just so as to merit to be God’s partners in His eternal plans!