Mass readings for Friday, 21 November 2025 (Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

 

Readings

First Reading – 1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59

“Then Judas and his brothers said: Behold our enemies are discomfited; let us go up now to cleanse the holy places and to repair them.” …
“They rose in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month … they offered sacrifice according to the law on the new altar … For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar with joy and gladness.” Catholic Gallery+2Catholic Daily Readings+2

 



Responsorial Psalm – 1 Chronicles 29:10bcd, 11abc, 11d-12a, 12bcd (R. 13b)

R. “We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.”
“Yours, O LORD, is magnificence, and power, and glory, and victory: to you is praise, for all that is in heaven and in earth is yours.” Catholic Gallery+1

Alleluia – John 10:27

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” Catholic Daily Readings

Gospel – Luke 19:45-48

“Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling there, saying to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be a house of prayer”; but you have made it a den of thieves.’ And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they could find no way to accomplish it, for all the people were hanging on his words.” Catholic Daily Readings+2Catholic Online+2

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Opening Prayer

Lord God,
You called the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the worthy dwelling-place of your Son, and you destined her to bear him for the salvation of the world. Grant that, guided by her example, we may cleanse the temple of our hearts and live always in your presence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reflection / Explanation

These readings converge on the theme of dedication, purification, and genuine worship.

  • In the first reading from 1 Maccabees, the Jewish people, under Judas and his brothers, cleanse and rededicate the temple that had been profaned, restoring the altar and celebrating with joy and thanksgiving. This is a historical memory of rededication (which prefigures later events).

  • The Psalm gives praise to God’s greatness and sovereignty: everything—heaven and earth—is his, and “we praise your glorious name, O mighty God.”

  • In the Gospel, Jesus enters the temple and cleanses it: he drives out the merchants and declares: “My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” Here the “temple” is both literal and symbolic: the place of worship, but by extension our hearts and lives.

The memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary invites us to reflect on how Mary’s life was dedicated to God from her infancy and how she remained the worthy dwelling-place of the Lord. Today’s readings echo that dedication: we too are invited to purify, to dedicate ourselves, to allow our lives (our bodies) to be temples of the Holy Spirit.

Key ideas:

  • God calls us to rededication: not just once in history, but continually, to renew our faith, repent, and live with integrity.

  • Worship is not just external ritual but an interior posture: the temple must be cleansed, the marketplace of our lives must give way to a genuine house of prayer.

  • Recognising God’s sovereignty and giving him the praise due (Psalm) grounds our dedication.

  • Mary is a model of one who said “yes” and allowed God to work through her—so we too should open ourselves wholly to God’s will.

Application Suggestions

For Catholics

  • Examine your “temple”: Take time today to examine your heart and life. Are there areas you have allowed to become “marketplaces”—places where worldly concerns, distractions, or compromises have taken hold instead of prayer and devotion? Resolve to ask the Lord to cleanse them.

  • Offer a rededication prayer: Following Mary’s example, make a conscious act of dedication: “Lord, I give you my heart, my mind, my will. May I be always your dwelling-place.”

  • Live worship beyond the Mass: Consider how your everyday life (work, relationships, time on social media) can become a “house of prayer.” Perhaps designate a quiet time today for prayer, or offer your daily activities as worship.

  • Praise God for his sovereignty: Use the Psalm’s words to remind yourself: “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness… for all that is in heaven and in earth is yours.” Let this awareness free you from anxiety and deepen your trust.

For Catechumens

  • Understanding temple imagery: You are preparing to enter fully into the life of the Church. These readings teach that you are being built up as a temple of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 6:19). Think about how your preparation is a process of cleansing and dedication.

  • Mary as model: Reflect on Mary’s “yes” and her presentation in the temple—she offers herself wholly. Ask: “How can I offer myself more fully to God as I prepare for initiation?”

  • Step into active prayer: Even now, your life of discipleship is worship. Try to carve out a moment today to be silent before God, to speak to him from your heart, to listen for his voice (cf. Gospel: “my sheep hear my voice”).

  • Praise God for all creation: As the Psalm teaches, everything in heaven and earth belongs to God. Recognising this helps you see your own coming into the Church as part of a larger story of creation, redemption and worship.

Closing Prayer

Lord God,
You are the beginning and the end, the author and perfecter of our faith. As we celebrate today the dedication of your holy dwelling and the offering of your Blessed Mother, graciously renew us in body, mind and spirit. May we live as temples of your love, praising your glorious name and walking always in the way of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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