The Sunday Readings and Catholic Doctrine for June 2025

The meaning of the Sunday Mass Readings for June 2025 is made clearest by Catholic Doctrine. God communicates most clearly to us through Catholic Doctrine. Doctrines are the essentially unchangeable clarifications of Revelation and Faith that only the pope and bishops have the God-given authority to make, that must be accepted as objectively true in order to be Catholic, and that not even the pope and bishops may contradict.

As George Weigel recently wrote:

Christian communities that maintain a clear understanding of their doctrinal and moral identity and boundaries can not only survive the acids of post-modernity; they have a chance to convert the post-modern world. By contrast, Christian communities whose self-identity becomes incoherent, whose boundaries become porous, and who mirror the culture rather than trying to convert it wither and die.

For as always, the bottom-line question for the Catholic future is, “When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8) —the “faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3), and none other.

Let’s learn the always-true doctrines in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that we can take away from this June’s Sunday Readings[i] to do our part so that the Son of Man will find faith on earth.

June 1, The Ascension of the Lord

Please see last month’s column for today’s solemnity, since it was covered then because there are archdioceses that celebrate it on the traditional forty days after Easter instead of the sixth Sunday after Easter.

June 1, The Seventh Sunday of Easter

In the U. S., only the Archdioceses of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha, and Philadelphia observe this Sunday as the Seventh Sunday of Easter because they observed the previous Thursday as the Solemnity (and thus Holy Day of Obligation) of the Ascension of the Lord.

When, in today’s Gospel, Jesus prayed at the Last Supper that those who believe in Him will be one, this unity “subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose” (CCC 820[ii]). This means that while Catholics should dialogue, collaborate, and pray in common with other Christians (CCC 821), nevertheless “Christ’s Spirit uses these [non-Catholic] Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church” (CCC 819).

• From the First Reading[iii] (Acts 7:55-60): Acts 7:56 is cited in CCC 659; and Acts 7:60 in CCC 2635.
• From the Second Reading (Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20): Rev 22:16 is cited in CCC 437 and 528; Rev 22:17 in CCC 524, 671, 694, 757, 796, 1130, 2550, and 2853; and Rev 22:20 in CCC 451, 671, 673, 1130, 1403, and 2853.
• From the Alleluia (John 14:18): Jn 14:18 is cited in CCC 788.
• From the Gospel (John 17:20-26): Jn 17:21-23 is cited in CCC 260 and 877; Jn 17:21 in CCC 820; Jn 17:22 in CCC 690; Jn 17:23-26 in CCC 2750; Jn 17:24 in CCC 2749 and 2750; Jn 17:25 in CCC 2751; and Jn 17:26 in CCC 589, 729, and 2750.

June 7, Pentecost Sunday at the Vigil Mass

The Catechism cites today’s Gospel to give us a tremendous definition of prayer: “Prayer is the response of faith to the free promise of salvation and also a response of love to the thirst of the only Son of God [for our love]” (CCC 2561).

With the Extended Form, there are four First Readings and four Responsorial Psalms:

• From First Reading 1 (Genesis 11:1-9): Gn 11:4-6 is cited in CCC 57.
• From First Reading 2 – (Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b): Ex 19:5-6 is cited in CCC 709, 762, and 2810; Ex 19:6 in CCC 63 and 1539; and Ex 19:16-25 in CCC 2085.
• From First Reading 3 – (Ezekiel 37:1-14): Ez 37:1-14 is cited in CCC 715; and Ez 37:10 in CCC 703.
• From First Reading 4 – (Joel 3:1-5): Jl 3:1-5 is cited in CCC 715; and Jl 3:1-2 in CCC 1287.
• From the Responsorial Psalm 4 (Psalms 104:1-2, 24, 35, 27-28, 29-30): Ps 104:24 is cited in CCC 295.

With the Simple Form, a First Reading is chosen from among the above First Readings, and Responsorial Psalm 4 is used.

• From the Second Reading (Romans 8:22-27): Rom 8:22 is cited in CCC 2630; Rom 8:23-24 in CCC 2630; Rom 8:23 in CCC 735; Rom 8:26-27 in CCC 2634; Rom 8:26 in CCC 741, 2559, 2630, and 2736; and Rom 8:27 in CCC 2543, 2736, and 2766.
• From the Gospel (John 7:37-39): Jn 7:37-39 is cited in CCC 728, 1287, and 2561; Jn 7:38-39 in CCC 1999; Jn 7:38 in CCC 694; and Jn 7:39 in CCC 244 and 690.

June 8, Pentecost Sunday – Mass during the Day

One sentence in the Catechism cites verses from the First Reading and the Gospel and so ties together these two accounts: “On several occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit [prophesied in Ezekiel 36:25-27 and Joel 3:1-2], a promise which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then more strikingly at Pentecost” (CCC 1287).

The meaning of Jesus sending the Apostles, giving them the Holy Spirit, and giving them the authority to forgive sins in today’s Gospel is that “[t]he saving mission entrusted by the Father to his incarnate Son was committed to the apostles and through them to their successors [who are the bishops]” (CCC 1120). Unlike Protestant Christianity, but like Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Catholic Christianity has bishops who were ordained by bishops in an unbroken chain of ordination of bishops going back to the Twelve Apostles who ordained the first bishops. This reality is called Apostolic Succession.

• From the First Reading (Acts 2:1-11): Acts 2:1-4 is cited in CCC 1287; Acts 2:1 in CCC 2623; Acts 2:3-4 in CCC 696; and Acts 2:11 in CCC 1287.
• From the Responsorial Psalm (Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34): Ps 104:24 is cited in CCC 295; and Ps 104:30 in CCC 292 and 703.
• From the Second Reading (1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13): 1 Cor 12:3 is cited in CCC 152, 449, 455, 683, 2670, and 2681; 1 Cor 12:4-6 in CCC 249; 1 Cor 12:6 in CCC 308; 1 Cor 12:7 in CCC 801 and 951; and 1 Cor 12:13 in CCC 694, 790, and 798.
• From the Gospel (John 20:19-23): Jn 20:19 is cited in CCC 575, 643, 645, and 659; Jn 20:20 in CCC 645; Jn 20:21-23 in CCC 1087, 1120, and 1441; Jn 20:21 in CCC 730 and 858; Jn 20:22-23 in CCC 976 and 1485; Jn 20:22 in CCC 730, 788, and 1287; and Jn 20:23 in CCC 1461 and 2839.

June 15, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

On this Solemnity, it is most appropriate to recall that “[t]he mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life.” (CCC 234).

Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel about the Spirit means that ‘[t]o follow Jesus is to live in ‘the [Holy] Spirit of truth,’ whom the Father sends in his name and who leads those open to Him ‘into all the truth’” (CCC 2466). It is “by the power of the Spirit” that doctrine has been “received from Christ” (CCC 1117), which is a key reason why popes and bishops do not have the authority to contradict doctrine.

Of all the other citations of today’s Readings, CCC 687 – on how the Holy Spirit moves – might be the most important to read.

• From the First Reading (Proverbs 8:22-31): Prv 8:22-31 is cited in CCC 288.
• From the Responsorial Psalm (Psalms 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9): Ps 8:6 is cited in CCC 2566 and 2809.
• From the Second Reading (Romans 5:1-5): Rom 5:3-5 is cited in CCC 2734 and 2847; and Rom 5:5 in CCC 368, 733, 1820, 1964, and 2658.
• From the Alleluia (Revelation 1:8): Rev 1:8 is cited in CCC 2854.
• From the Gospel (John 16:12-15): Jn 16:13-15 is cited in CCC 2615; Jn 16:13 in CCC 91, 243, 687, 692, 1117, 2466, and 2671; Jn 16:14-15 in CCC 485; and Jn 16:14 in CCC 244 and 690.

June 22, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

While the Catechism does not cite any of the verses from today’s Gospel, it cites the Second Reading fifteen times, showing the importance of this passage from St. Paul. Important to take away from this Reading is that the Eucharist, and the other Sacraments, both make Christ present to us in our fallen world and also anticipate their fulfillment at His Second Coming (CCC 1130).

• From the First Reading (Genesis 14:18-20): Gn 14:18 is cited in CCC 58, 1333, and 1544.
• From the Responsorial Psalm (Ps Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4): Ps 110:1 is cited in CCC 659; and Ps 110:4 in CCC 1537.
• From the Second Reading (1 Corinthians 11:23-26): 1 Cor 11:23-26 is cited in CCC 1339; 1 Cor 11:23 in CCC 610 and 1366; 1 Cor 11:24-25 in CCC 1356; 1 Cor 11:24 in CCC 1328 and 1329; 1 Cor 11:25 in CCC 611 and 613; and 1 Cor 11:26 in CCC 671, 1076, 1130, 1344, 1393, 2772, and 2776.
• From the Alleluia (John 6:51): Jn 6:51 is cited in CCC 728, 1355, 1406, and 2837.

June 29, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Vigil

Jesus’ appearance to St. Paul, mentioned in today’s Second Reading, “established him as an apostle” (CCC 659). Although St. Paul was an apostle, he was not one of the Twelve Apostles. An apostle was someone who encountered the Risen Christ. The Twelve Apostles were those chosen by Christ and the Holy Spirit to lead the Church. The bishops are the successors of the Twelve Apostles (CCC 880).

• From the First Reading (Acts 3:1-10): Acts 3:1 is cited in CCC 584; and Acts 3:9 in CCC 2640.
• From the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5): Ps 19:2 is cited in CCC 326.
• From the Second Reading (Galatians 1:11-20): Gal 1:13 is cited in CCC 752; Gal 1:15-16 in CCC 442; Gal 1:15 in CCC 153; Gal 1:16 in CCC 659; Gal 1:19 in CCC 500; and Gal 1:20 in CCC 2154.
• From the Gospel (John 21:15-19): Jn 21:15-17 is cited in CCC 553, 880, 881, 1429, 1551; and Jn 21:18-19 in CCC 618.

June 29, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Besides supporting Papal Primacy and Apostolic Succession (CCC 869), today’s Gospel also supports doctrines about having Catholic Faith. Faith is a gift from God (CCC 153) because it is acceptance of Revelation. Yet faith requires “the human intellect and will [to] cooperate with divine grace” (CCC 155). Having faith is “contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason” (CCC 154).

• From the First Reading (Acts 12:1-11): Acts 12:5 is cited in CCC 2636; and Acts 12:6-11 in CCC 334.
• From the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9): Ps 34:3 is cited in CCC 716; and Ps 34:8 in CCC 336
• From the Alleluia (Matthew 16:18): see below.
• From the Gospel (Matthew 16:13-19): Mt 16:16-17 is cited in CCC 442; Mt 16:16-23 is cited in CCC 440; Mt 16:16 in CCC 424; Mt 16:17 in CCC 153; Mt 16:18-19 in CCC 881; Mt 16:18 in CCC 424, 442, 552, 586, and 869; and Mt 16:19 in CCC 553 and 1444.

[i] There are too many citations, or references, in the Catechism to the verses in a month of Sunday Mass readings to identify all the pertinent doctrines, so I will use my best judgment to select which verses and doctrines to cover in a column that may not exceed 2,000 words. The bullet points allow you to explore further the Biblical basis of Catholic Doctrine.

[ii] CCC abbreviates Catechism of the Catholic Church. Any number after it is the number of a paragraph in the Catechism. For example, “CCC 820” means paragraph 820 of the Catechism.

[iii] If a Reading is not listed, then none of its verses is cited by the CCC.