Daily Readings - Mon Dec 11 2023
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 healing and redemption. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a desolate land transformed into a place of beauty and life, where the blind see, the deaf hear, and the lame walk. This is not just a physical transformation but a spiritual one, where God’s presence brings joy and liberation. The Gospel from Luke brings this vision to life in the story of the paralytic man, whose friends’ unwavering faith leads Jesus to forgive his sins and restore his bodily health. Both readings remind us that God’s power is not limited to the physical realm but extends to the deepest recesses of the human heart.
The context of these readings is rooted in hope and trust. Isaiah’s prophecy speaks to a people in exile, longing for restoration and renewal. Luke’s account, set in the early days of Jesus’ ministry, challenges the Pharisees’ rigid understanding of God’s authority. Both passages emphasize that true healing comes from trusting in God’s plan and His ability to transform even the most broken situations. The paralytic’s friends, determined to bring him to Jesus despite the obstacles, teach us the value of perseverance and faith in the face of adversity.
These readings invite us to reflect on how we approach our own challenges and struggles. Like the paralytic and his friends, we are called to trust in God’s power to heal and redeem. This is not just about physical healing but about the spiritual transformation that comes from encountering Christ. In our daily lives, we can apply this by seeking God’s presence in our struggles, trusting in His plan, and persevering in faith. The moral lesson here is clear: God’s healing power is available to all, but it requires us to open our hearts and minds to His grace. Let us, like the paralytic, rise up and walk in the freedom and joy that only God can provide.