The meaning of the Sunday Mass Readings for October 2026 is made clearest by Catholic doctrine. “It is clear therefore that in the supremely wise arrangement of God, Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others” (CCC 95[1]). Sacred Scripture at Mass cannot stand fully without the Magisterium. The Magisterium’s role is to give doctrine, which is the authoritative and unchanging clarification of Sacred Tradition and Scared Scripture that must be accepted as objectively true in order to be Catholic. Let’s connect doctrines in the Catechism of the Catholic Church with October’s Readings[2].
October 4, Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Make your requests known to God,” today’s Second Reading encourages us. The Catechism cites this verse to teach that “every need can become the object of petition. Christ, who assumed all things in order to redeem all things, is glorified by what we ask the Father in his name” (CCC 2633). It might be good to add that all of our needs will not be met until Christ comes again in glory to completely establish the Kingdom of God (see CCC 671-672).
The Second Reading also encourages us to think about the right things – whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, and worthy of praise. How do we know if we are thinking about the right things? Where are our thinking ends is more important than where our thinking starts, because we have countless spontaneous thoughts which we did not choose to initiate. We are thinking about the right things when our thinking leads to virtuous actions (CCC 1803). Every Catholic should know and strive to grow in the Cardinal Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance (CCC 1805-1809) and the Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and charity (CCC 1814-1829). St. Thomas Aquinas recommends, in addition, the Intellectual Virtues of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
The Catechism gives us an answer to Why be Catholic? when it cites a verse about “bearing fruit” from today’s Alleluia: “the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity” (CCC 738) because the “mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church” (CCC 737). The reason we should be Catholic is the same reason every person on earth should be Catholic: The Church “is the sacrament of the Holy Trinity’s communion with men” (CCC 747). “For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained” (CCC 816) – even though “many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church” (CCC 819).
The vineyard in the First Reading and the Gospel is ultimately the Church, “planted by the heavenly cultivator” (CCC 755). Why be Catholic? “On this foundation [of Christ] the Church is built by the apostles” (CCC 756). Christ is the cornerstone of Catholic doctrine, Catholic liturgy, Catholic morality, and Catholic prayer (CCC 13-17). To be Catholic is to have the best possible relationship with Jesus Christ.
- From the First Reading[3] (Isaiah 5:1-7): Is 5:1-7 is cited in CCC 755.
- From the Second Reading (Philippians 4:6-9): Phil 4:6-7 is cited in CCC 2633; and Phil 4:8 in CCC 1803.
- From the Alleluia (John 15:16): Jn 15:16 is cited in CCC 434, 737, 2615, and 2815.
- From the Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43): Matt 21:33-43 is cited in CCC 755; 21:34-36 in CCC 443; 21:37-38 in CCC 443; 21:42 in CCC 756.
October 11, Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
How can we, like St. Paul in today’s Second Reading, persevere in doing God’s will? “Only faith can embrace the mysterious ways of God’s almighty power” (CCC 273) since faith “in God the Father Almighty can be put to the test by the experience of evil and suffering” (CCC 272). Catholic faith is not blind trust (CCC 156). It is acceptance of God’s Revelation (CCC 53). It is knowledge, not opinion, that comes from God in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition as they are clarified by Catholic doctrine. From Catholic doctrine, we know the root cause for the existence of all evil and suffering is Original Sin and there will continue to be evil and suffering in this fallen world until Jesus Christ completely establishes the Kingdom of God on the Last Day. Jesus “calls his disciples to take up their cross and follow him” (CCC 618). “By uniting ourselves with his sacrifice we can make our lives a sacrifice to God” (CCC 2100). See CCC 1996-2016 on grace and holiness. As we reflect on suffering and evil, let us also keep in mind that the Resurrection is “an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross: Christ is risen from the dead! Dying, he conquered death; to the dead, he has given life” (CCC 638). “The risen Christ lives in the hearts of his faithful while they await that fulfillment” in the Kingdom of God (CCC 655).
Today’s entire Gospel is cited by the Catechism to teach that “to gain the kingdom [of God], one must give everything. Words are not enough; deeds are required” CCC 546. In order to accept God’s invitation to the ultimate banquet in His Kingdom, we should “use everything that is not God only insofar as it brings us closer to him, and to detach ourselves from it insofar as it turns us away from him” (CCC 222, 226), as we saw on the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. We properly use our talents and the things of this world when we are better able to believe, worship, act, and pray in harmony with all Catholic doctrine.
- From the Responsorial Psalm (Psalms 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6): Ps 23:5 is cited in CCC 1293.
- From the Second Reading (Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20): Phil 4:13 is cited in CCC 273 and 1460.
- From the Alleluia (Ephesians 1:17-18): Eph 1:18 is cited in CCC 158.
- From the Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14): Matt 22:1-14 is cited in CCC 546 and 796.
October 18, Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In today’s First Reading, God reveals through the prophet Isaiah that He is the Creator and Lord of history. The Catechism explains that sometimes God works directly as the first cause of things and events (CCC 304) and sometimes God works indirectly through secondary causes (CCC 306-307). “For God grants his creatures not only their existence, but also the dignity of acting on their own, of being causes and principles for each other, and thus of cooperating in the accomplishment of his plan.”
The Catechism uses the famous words of Jesus about paying Caesar and God from this Sunday’s Gospel to justify disobedience of “the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel,” although such disobedience must be “within the limits of natural law and the Law of the Gospel” (CCC 2242). In other words, we have a right to disobey civil authorities when they are out of harmony with Catholic doctrine, but our disobedience should be in harmony with Catholic doctrine since Catholic doctrine is the best interpreter of natural law and the Gospel. The best understanding of social justice is found in Catholic doctrine (CCC 1877-1948).
- From the First Reading (Isaiah 45:1, 4-6): Is 45:5-7 is cited in CCC 304.
- From the Alleluia (Philippians 2:15d, 16a): Phil 2:15 is cited in CCC 1243.
- From the Gospel (Matthew 22:15-21): Mt 22:21 is cited in CCC 2242.
October 25, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s First Reading warns against mistreating foreigners and wronging widows or orphans. The Catechism considers these as two examples of “sins that cry to heaven” (CCC 1867). There are many “acts which, in and of themselves, independently of circumstances and intentions, are always gravely [sinful] . . . such as blasphemy and perjury, murder and adultery. One may not do evil so that good may result from it” (CCC 1756).
It might be important to add a few points about morality. In order to be guilty, blameworthy, or at fault for committing an intrinsically wrong action, the person committing the action must know it is wrong and freely choose to do it anyway (CCC 1859, 1862). “Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the [fault for] a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man” (CCC 1860). At its most basic, the moral law is: Due good and avoid doing evil. Its principal precepts are found in the Ten Commandments. For more on conscience and the moral law, see CCC 1776-1802 and 1949-1960. “The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders” (CCC 1860). However, “[f]eigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of sin” (CCC 1859). We cannot hide our mind and heart from God. Let’s also realize that even if a person committing a sinful act is not personally blameworthy, a sinful act is still a sinful act. A “good intention does not make behavior that is intrinsically disordered . . . good or just. The end [or goal] does not justify the means [or method]” (CCC 1753).
Since treatment of foreigners continues to be a pressing issue, here are key doctrines about immigration (CCC 2241):
- “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin.”
- “Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants’ duties toward their country of adoption.”
- “Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.”
Catholic doctrine leaves immense room for reasonable disagreement on immigration policies. As we discuss and debate immigration, let us remember that the good intention of helping those who want to immigrate does not justify any method of immigrating or any way of supporting those who have immigrated.
God’s “Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus” are words from the Second Reading that are cited by the Catechism to teach that “[f]rom the beginning this acknowledgement of Christ’s divine sonship [has been] the center of the apostolic faith” (CCC 442). Although there are different meanings of “son of God” in Sacred Scripture (see CCC 441), the Apostles and all true disciples of Christ rightfully use it to mean that Jesus is God the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity – Who established the Magisterium of the Catholic Church as the only authoritative source of doctrine.
- From the First Reading (Exodus 22:20-26): Ex 22:20-22 is cited in CCC 1867.
- From the Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10): 1 Thes 1:10 is cited in CCC 442.
[1] CCC abbreviates Catechism of the Catholic Church. Any number after it is the number of a paragraph in the Catechism. For example, “CCC 95” means paragraph 95 of the Catechism.
[2] There are too many references in the Catechism to the verses in a month of Sunday Mass Readings to cover all the connected doctrines, so I use my best judgment to select which verses and doctrines to cover in a column which may not exceed 2,000 words. The bullet points allow for further exploration of how Catholic doctrine clarifies Sacred Scripture.
[3] If a Reading is not listed, then none of its verses is cited by the CCC.
