Daily Readings - Mon Dec 04 2023
Isaiah
1The word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem2And in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be prepared at the summit of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills, and all the nations shall flow to it3And many peoples will go, and they will say: "Let us approach and ascend to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob. And he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For the law will go forth from Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem4And he will judge the nations, and he will rebuke many peoples. And they shall forge their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they continue to train for battle5O house of Jacob, let us approach and walk in the light of the Lord
Matthew
5And when he had entered into Capernaum, a centurion approached, petitioning him6and saying, "Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed and badly tormented.7And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him.8And responding, the centurion said: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed9For I, too, am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.10And, hearing this, Jesus wondered. And he said to those following him: "Amen I say to you, I have not found so great a faith in Israel11For I say to you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and they shall sit at table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven13And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go, and just as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And the servant was healed at that very hour
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the themes of faith, trust, and the universal call to God’s kingdom. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vision of a future where all nations stream to the mountain of the Lord, seeking his ways and living in peace. Swords are beaten into plowshares, and war is no more. This is a messianic vision, a hope for a world transformed by God’s presence and law. It speaks to a time when humanity, tired of conflict and division, turns to the Lord for guidance and harmony. The context is one of longing for a world at peace, where God’s light shines brightly for all to see.
The Gospel continues this theme with the story of the centurion, a Roman soldier, who approaches Jesus with humility and faith. Despite his position of authority, the centurion recognizes his unworthiness and trusts completely in Jesus’ power to heal his servant. His faith is remarkable because he is not a Jew, yet he believes in Jesus’ authority. Jesus praises his faith and heals the servant instantly. This story shows us that God’s kingdom is not limited to one people or place; it is universal. The centurion’s faith is an example for us, teaching us to trust in God’s power and to recognize that his love and mercy extend to all people.
These readings call us to reflect on our own faith and trust in God. Like the centurion, we are called to approach God with humility and confidence, knowing that he can do great things in our lives. The vision from Isaiah reminds us that we are part of a larger story, a story of God’s plan to bring all people together in peace and unity. As we go about our daily lives, let us strive to live with the kind of faith that sees beyond the present moment, trusting in God’s plan. May we, like the centurion, be open to the universal call of God’s kingdom and work toward a world where all people can walk in the light of the Lord.