Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 13, 2019
First Reading: Isaiah 40.1-5, 9-11
1"Be consoled, be consoled, O my people!" says your God2Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call out to her! For her malice has reached its end. Her iniquity has been forgiven. She has received double for all her sins from the hand of the Lord3The voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight the paths of our God, in a solitary place4Every valley will be exalted, and every mountain and hill will be brought low. And the crooked will be straightened, and the uneven will become level ways5And the glory of the Lord will be revealed. And all flesh together will see that the mouth of the Lord has spoken.9You who evangelize Zion, climb a high mountain! You who evangelize Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength! Lift it up! Do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah: "Behold, your God!10Behold, the Lord God will arrive in strength, and his arm will rule. Behold, his reward is with him, and his work is before him11He will pasture his flock like a shepherd. He will gather together the lambs with his arm, and he will lift them up to his bosom, and he himself will carry the very young
Psalm 104
1To David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are exceedingly great. You have clothed yourself with confession and beauty2you are dressed with light like a garment, while you stretch out heaven like a tent3You cover its heights with water. You set the clouds as your stairs. You walk upon the wings of the winds4You make your Angels a breath of life, and your ministers a burning fire5You founded the earth upon its stable base. It will not be bent from age to age6The abyss, like a garment, is its clothing. The waters will remain standing above the mountains7At your rebuke, they will flee. At the voice of your thunder, they will dread8The mountains ascend, and the plains descend, to the place which you have founded for them9You have set a limit that they will not cross. And they will not return to cover the earth10You spring forth fountains in steep valleys. The waters will cross through the midst of the mountains11All the wild beasts of the field will drink. The wild donkeys will anticipate in their thirst12Above them, the flying things of the air will dwell. From the midst of the rocks, they will utter voices13You irrigate the mountains from your heights. The earth will be satiated from the fruit of your works14producing grass for cattle and herbs for the service of men. So may you draw bread from the earth15and wine, in order to cheer the heart of man. Then he may gladden his face with oil, and bread will confirm the heart of man16The trees of the field will be saturated, along with the cedars of Lebanon, which he planted17There, the sparrows will make their nests. The leader of them is the house of the heron18The heights of the hills are for the deer; the rock is a refuge for the hedgehog19He has made the moon for seasons; the sun knows its setting20You appointed darkness, and it has become night; all the beasts of the forest will cross through it21The young lions will roar, while searching for and seizing their meal from God22The sun arose, and they were gathered together; and in their dens, they will lie down together23Man will go forth to his work and to his activities, until the evening24How great are your works, O Lord! You have made all things in wisdom. The earth has been filled with your possessions25This sea is great and its hands are spacious. There are creeping things without number: the small animals with the great26There, the ships will pass by this sea-serpent that you have formed to mock them27All these expect you to give them food in due time28What you give to them, they will gather. When you open your hand, they will all be filled with goodness29But if you turn your face away, they will be disturbed. You will take away their breath, and they will fail, and they will return to their dust30You will send forth your Spirit, and they will be created. And you will renew the face of the earth31May the glory of the Lord be for all ages. The Lord will rejoice in his works32He considers the earth, and he makes it tremble. He touches the mountains, and they smoke33I will sing to the Lord with my life. I will sing psalms to my God, as long as I am34May my speech be pleasing to him. Truly, I will take delight in the Lord35Let sinners fade away from the earth, along with the unjust, so that they may not be. Bless the Lord, O my soul
Second Reading: Titus 2.11-14; 3.4-7
11For the grace of God our Savior has appeared to all men12instructing us to reject impiety and worldly desires, so that we may live soberly and justly and piously in this age13looking forward to the blessed hope and the advent of the glory of the great God and of our Savior Jesus Christ14He gave himself for our sake, so that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse for himself an acceptable people, pursuers of good works
4But then the kindness and humanity of God our Savior appeared5And he saved us, not by works of justice that we had done, but, in accord with his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and by the renovation of the Holy Spirit6whom he has poured out upon us in abundance, through Jesus Christ our Savior7so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs according to the hope of eternal life
Gospel: Luke 3.15-16, 21-22
15Now all were thinking about John in their hearts, and the people were supposing that perhaps he might be the Christ16John responded by saying to everyone: "Indeed, I baptize you with water. But there will arrive one stronger than me, the laces of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit, and with fire21Now it happened that, when all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized; and as he was praying, heaven was opened22And the Holy Spirit, in a corporal appearance like a dove, descended upon him. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my beloved Son. In you, I am well pleased.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of hope, preparation, and the transformative power of God’s grace. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a message of consolation and hope. The prophet speaks to a people in exile, offering them comfort and promising that their suffering will end. He calls them to prepare the way for the Lord, emphasizing that every valley will be exalted and every mountain will be made low. This is a call to humility and openness, reminding us that God’s glory will be revealed to all. Isaiah’s words are not just for his time but resonate with us today, urging us to clear the path in our hearts for the Lord’s presence.
The second reading from Titus builds on this theme of preparation but shifts the focus to the transformative power of God’s grace. St. Paul reminds us that God’s grace has appeared to all people, instructing us to reject sin and live lives marked by sobriety, justice, and piety. This is not about earning God’s favor through our works but about responding to the gift of salvation we have already received. Titus emphasizes that we are saved by God’s mercy, not by our own efforts, and that this mercy renews us through the Holy Spirit. This reading challenges us to live in a way that reflects the hope we have in Christ, trusting in his promise of eternal life.
In the Gospel, Luke presents us with the figure of John the Baptist, who humbly acknowledges that he is not the Messiah but merely a precursor. John’s baptism with water is a symbol of repentance, but he points to one greater than himself who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. The scene of Jesus’ baptism is a profound moment of revelation. As Jesus prays, the heavens open, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father’s voice affirms Jesus as his beloved Son. This moment is not just about Jesus; it is about us. Through our own baptism, we are called to share in Christ’s mission and to live as beloved children of God, guided by the Holy Spirit.
These readings remind us that our lives are not about our own strength or achievements but about surrendering to God’s grace. Like Isaiah, we are called to prepare the way for the Lord in our hearts and in the world around us. Like John the Baptist, we are called to humility and to point others to Christ. And like Jesus, we are called to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting in the Father’s love. May we allow God’s grace to transform us, that we might live as heirs of eternal life, always hopeful and always prepared to reveal his glory to the world.