Witness to Truth

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Reading 1 1 Corinthians 1:17-25

Brothers and sisters:
Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11

R. (5) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

 

 

Alleluia Luke 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’ 
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’ 
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. 
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Witness to Truth

August 29, 2026 // Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Mark 6:17-29

Reflect on the Word // 

My sister called to share that the date was set for her and my brother-in-law’s wedding, August 29th. Rolodexing through the Church’s liturgical calendar, I realized that their wedding would be on the Memorial of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Strange, I thought. 

Weeks later, our family was joking at the irony of this Memorial being a romantic day to get married. Suddenly, something came over my sister, and she stopped joking. Instead she stated, “Actually, it’s kind of perfect. It’s the day when we remember that someone was killed defending the dignity of marriage.” We all were rendered speechless.

John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, was martyred for the sake of defending the sanctity of marriage (see Mark 6:18). He died as “a voice crying out in the wilderness’” (John 1:23) that this Sacrament truly matters, that it really is an outward sign of the inward grace of God’s everlasting covenant with mankind. Marriage points to the nuptial reality proposed to each one of us by Christ, the Bridegroom of our souls. This reality is charged with fidelity, intimacy, and fruitfulness. 

In my family’s living room, I was moved to have witnessed a glimpse of the Lord forming my sister’s heart as she and her fiancé prepared for this Sacrament. I am grateful for Him forming my own heart: convinced that that reality awaits each one of us in the eternal communion of Heaven with the Triune God and convicted that it was being offered to me even at that moment as well. 

Today’s Memorial reminds us that the truth offered to us by Christ is our duty and privilege to proclaim to all those we encounter. This truth was worth John the Baptist risking punishment for speaking against Herod and Herodius’ infidelity. This truth is worth each one of us upholding and promoting today—whether it be by the witness of our lives or the witness of our deaths. 

Relate to the Lord // Whose marriage needs your prayers? Intercede for them today through the intercession of Saint John the Baptist, defender of the Sacrament of Matrimony.