Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 14, 2025
First Reading: Isaiah 35.1-6a, 10
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 places10And 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
Psalm 146
1Alleluia. Of Haggai and Zachariah2Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord with my life. I will sing psalms to my God as long as I shall be. Do not trust in the leaders3in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation4His spirit will depart, and he will return to his earth. In that day, all their thoughts will perish5Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob: his hope is in the Lord God himself6who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all the things that are in them7He preserves the truth forever. He executes judgment for those who suffer injury. He provides food for the hungry. The Lord releases those who are bound8The Lord enlightens the blind. The Lord sets upright those who have been thrown down. The Lord loves the just9The Lord watches over new arrivals. He will support the orphan and the widow. And he will destroy the ways of sinners10The Lord shall reign forever: your God, O Zion, from generation to generation
Second Reading: James 5.7-10
7Therefore, be patient, brothers, until the advent of the Lord. Consider that the farmer anticipates the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently, until he receives the early and the late rains8Therefore, you too should be patient and should strengthen your hearts. For the advent of the Lord draws near9Brothers, do not complain against one another, so that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the door10My brothers, consider the Prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of departing from evil, of labor, and of patience
Gospel: Matthew 11.2-11
2Now when John had heard, in prison, about the works of Christ, sending two of his disciples, he said to him3"Are you he who is to come, or should we expect another?4And Jesus, responding, said to them: "Go and report to John what you have heard and seen5The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor are evangelized6And blessed is he who has found no offense in me.7Then, after they departed, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind8So what did you go out to see? A man in soft garments? Behold, those who are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet10For this is he, of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send my Angel before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.11Amen I say to you, among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he
Sermon
In today's Gospel, we witness John the Baptist, imprisoned and facing doubt, sending his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?" Jesus' reply points not to his identity directly, but to his actions: "The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor are evangelized." These are not random acts; they are the very signs prophesied by Isaiah in our first reading—the desolate land rejoicing, the eyes of the blind opened, the lame leaping, the tongue of the mute untied. Isaiah foretold God's vindication, God himself arriving to save, bringing joy and healing. Jesus' response to John is a declaration that these ancient promises are now being fulfilled, in him. It is a profound confirmation of God's active presence in the world, bringing salvation and transformation.
Like John, who, despite his immense faith and prophetic role, still sought confirmation amidst his suffering, we too can experience moments of doubt, weariness, or even desolation. We may look at the world, or our own lives, and wonder where God's promises are, when the "desolate land" will truly rejoice. It is here that the words of James become so vital, urging us to "be patient, brothers, until the advent of the Lord," to "strengthen your hearts." We are called to cultivate an expectant patience, not a passive resignation, but an active watchfulness, like the farmer who anticipates the precious fruit. We are to look for the signs of God's work in our midst—the unexpected kindness, the quiet healing, the word of hope shared with the poor in spirit. These are the ways Christ continues to answer John's question in every age, inviting us to see His glory and the beauty of our God in the everyday, even amidst our waiting.
The ultimate moral lesson woven through these readings is one of profound trust and patient anticipation. God's timing and methods are often not our own, and the "advent of the Lord" can be subtle or dramatic, unfolding across history and in our personal lives. John expected a different kind of Messiah, perhaps one of judgment and immediate overturning of earthly powers. Yet, Jesus revealed himself through acts of humble service, healing, and evangelization. We are called to strengthen our hearts against cynicism and impatience, to recognize that God's kingdom is breaking in, even when sorrow and pain still persist. Our task is to cultivate eyes that see His subtle signs, ears that hear His quiet voice, and hearts that patiently endure, confident that our God will indeed arrive to save us, bringing everlasting joy that pain and sorrow cannot touch. Let us therefore live in joyful expectation, faithful in our waiting, and always ready to witness to the transforming power of His love.