Daily Readings - Sun Dec 04 2022

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

Romans

Chapter 15

⁴For whatever was written, was written to teach us, so that, through patience and the consolation of the Scriptures, we might have hope⁵So may the God of patience and solace grant you to be of one mind toward one another, in accord with Jesus Christ⁶so that, together with one mouth, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ⁷For this reason, accept one another, just as Christ also has accepted you, in the honor of God⁸For I declare that Christ Jesus was the minister of circumcision because of the truth of God, so as to confirm the promises to the fathers⁹and that the Gentiles are to honor God because of his mercy, just as it was written: "Because of this, I will confess you among the Gentiles, O Lord, and I will sing to your name.

Matthew

Chapter 3

¹Now in those days, John the Baptist arrived, preaching in the desert of Judea²and saying: "Repent. For the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.³For this is the one who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, saying: "A voice crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.⁴Now the same John had a garment made from the hair of camels, and a leather belt around his waist. And his food was locusts and wild honey⁵Then Jerusalem, and all Judea, and the entire region around the Jordan went out to him⁶And they were baptized by him in the Jordan, acknowledging their sins⁷Then, seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees arriving for his baptism, he said to them: "Progeny of vipers, who warned to you to flee from the approaching wrath⁸Therefore, produce fruit worthy of repentance⁹And do not choose to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God has the power to raise up sons to Abraham from these stones¹⁰For even now the axe has been placed at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not produce good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire¹¹Indeed, I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who will come after me is more powerful than me. I am not worthy to carry his shoes. He will baptize you with the fire of the Holy Spirit¹²His winnowing fan is in his hand. And he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. And he will gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of hope, justice, and the universal call to repentance. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear of a messianic vision—a shoot springing forth from the root of Jesse, who will bring justice and harmony to the world. This figure, filled with the Spirit of the Lord, will not judge by appearances but will establish peace and fairness, even among natural enemies. Isaiah’s prophecy reminds us of God’s promise to restore creation and bring all things into unity. In the Gospel, Matthew introduces John the Baptist, who calls people to repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. John’s message is urgent and clear: the kingdom of heaven is near, and true repentance requires more than outward signs—it demands a change of heart and a life of virtue. John’s baptism with water is only a beginning, for the one who comes after him will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, separating the wheat from the chaff. This reminds us that our faith must be lived out in deeds, not just words. The second reading from Romans ties these themes together. Paul emphasizes that the Scriptures are a source of hope and patience for us, and he prays that we may be united in our minds and hearts, just as Christ has accepted us. This acceptance is not limited to a select few but extends to all people, Jew and Gentile alike. The readings today challenge us to examine our lives: Are we living in a way that reflects the justice and harmony of God’s kingdom? Are we open to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit? Let us repent of our sins, embrace the unity Christ offers, and strive to be instruments of peace and justice in the world.