Daily Readings - Tue Dec 01 2020
Isaiah
1And a rod will go forth from the root of Jesse, and a flower will ascend from his root2And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety3And he will be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. He will not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears4Instead, he will judge the poor with justice, and he will reprove the meek of the earth with fairness. And he will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and he will slay the impious with the spirit of his lips5And justice will be the belt around his waist. And faith will be the warrior’s belt at his side6The wolf will dwell with the lamb; and the leopard will lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion and the sheep will abide together; and a little boy will drive them7The calf and the bear will feed together; their young ones will rest together. And the lion will eat straw like the ox8And a breastfeeding infant will play above the lair of the asp. And a child who has been weaned will thrust his hand into the den of the king snake9They will not harm, and they will not kill, on all my holy mountain. For the earth has been filled with the knowledge of the Lord, like the waters covering the sea10In that day, the root of Jesse, who stands as a sign among the people, the same the Gentiles shall beseech, and his sepulcher will be glorious
Luke
21In the same hour, he exulted in the Holy Spirit, and he said: "I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and have revealed them to little ones. It is so, Father, because this way was pleasing before you22All things have been delivered to me by my Father. And no one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and those to whom the Son has chosen to reveal him.23And turning to his disciples, he said: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see24For I say to you, that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you see, and they did not see them, and to hear the things that you hear, and they did not hear them.
Sermon
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s revelation and the humility required to receive it. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a beautiful vision of the Messiah, a shoot from the root of Jesse, who will bring peace and justice to the world. The Messiah is depicted as one filled with the Spirit of the Lord, who will judge the poor with justice and slay the wicked with the breath of his mouth. Isaiah’s vision is one of harmony, where even natural enemies will live in peace, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. This passage, written in a time of hope and longing for Israel, reminds us that God’s plan for redemption is one of peace and justice, and that the Messiah will come to fulfill this plan.
In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus rejoicing in the Holy Spirit for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to the simple and the humble. Jesus acknowledges that while many prophets and kings desired to see and hear what the disciples experience, it is the humble and the little ones who are granted this grace. This passage underscores the theme of humility and trust in God’s plan. Jesus emphasizes that true understanding comes not from human wisdom but from a childlike openness to God’s revelation. The Father’s pleasure is in revealing Himself to those who are willing to receive His truth with a humble heart.
These readings remind us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His wisdom is not the wisdom of the world. The Messiah comes not as a mighty warrior but as a humble servant, bringing peace and justice through the power of the Spirit. For us, this means cultivating humility and openness to God’s Word. In a world often driven by power and knowledge, we are called to trust in God’s plan and to receive His truth with simplicity and faith. Let us ask for the grace to see with the eyes of faith and to hear with the ears of the heart, that we may truly know the Father and the Son, and share in the joy of His revelation.