Daily Readings - Mon Dec 05 2022
Isaiah
1The desolate and impassable land will rejoice, and the place of solitude will exult, and it will flourish like the lily2It will spring up and blossom, and it will exult with rejoicing and praising. The glory of Lebanon has been given to it, with the beauty of Carmel and Sharon. These will see the glory of the Lord and the beauty of our God3Strengthen the lax hands, and confirm the weak knees4Say to the fainthearted: "Take courage and fear not! Behold, your God will bring the vindication of retribution. God himself will arrive to save you.5Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be cleared6Then the disabled will leap like a buck, and the tongue of the mute will be untied. For the waters have burst forth in the desert, and torrents in solitary places7And the land that was dry will have a pond, and the thirsty land will have fountains of water. In the hollows where the serpents lived before, there will rise up the greenery of reed and bulrush8And there shall be a path and a road in that place. And it will be called the Holy Way. The defiled will not pass through it. For this will be an upright path for you, so much so that the foolish will not wander along it9There will be no lions in that place, and harmful wild animals will neither climb up to it, nor be found there. Only those who have been freed will walk in that place10And the redeemed of the Lord will be converted, and they will return to Zion with praising. And everlasting joy will be upon their heads. They will obtain gladness and rejoicing. For pain and sorrow will flee away
Luke
17And it happened, on a certain day, that he again sat down, teaching. And there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting nearby, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present, to heal them18And behold, some men were carrying in the bed of a man who was paralyzed. And they sought a way to bring him in, and to place him before him19And not finding a way by which they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they climbed up to the roof, and they let him down through the roof tiles with his bed, into their midst, in front of Jesus20And when he saw his faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you.21And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: "Who is this, who is speaking blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins, except God alone?22But when Jesus realized their thoughts, responding, he said to them: "What are you thinking in your hearts23Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?24But so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins," he said to the paralytic, "I say to you to: Rise up, take up your bed, and go into your house.25And at once, rising up in their sight, he took up the bed on which he was lying, and he went away to his own house, magnifying God26And astonishment took hold of everyone, and they were magnifying God. And they were filled with fear, saying: "For we have seen miracles today.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful visions of redemption and transformation. The Prophet Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a desolate land blossoming into a place of joy and beauty, where the blind see, the deaf hear, and the lame leap. This prophecy speaks to a future time of restoration, where God's people will walk on a holy path, free from fear and harm. It is a message of hope, assuring us that God's transformative power will bring light to darkness and life to barrenness.
In the Gospel, Luke shares a story that embodies this transformation. A paralyzed man, carried by his determined friends, is lowered through a roof to reach Jesus. Jesus, seeing the man's faith, forgives his sins and then heals his body. This act not only showcases Jesus' divine authority but also fulfills the prophecy from Isaiah. Jesus' ministry is one of redemption, where spiritual and physical healing are intertwined. The Pharisees' reaction reminds us that recognizing Jesus' authority often challenges our understanding, yet it is through such moments that we encounter the depth of God's love and power.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to trust in God's transformative power. Just as the paralyzed man and his friends trusted in Jesus, we are called to have faith, even when faced with obstacles. The lesson here is that true healing begins with forgiveness and leads to a life of freedom and joy. As we navigate our own challenges, may we remember that God's redemptive power is always at work, turning desolation into abundance and despair into hope. Let us walk in faith, knowing that we are part of God's holy path, where love and healing guide us every step of the way.