Daily Readings - Sun Dec 10 2017
Isaiah
1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.3A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."9Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"10Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.11He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
2 Peter
8But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!13But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.14Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
Mark
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,3the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'"4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.6Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.7And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we hear a powerful message of preparation, hope, and transformation. The first reading from Isaiah offers words of comfort to a people in exile, urging them to prepare for the coming of the Lord who will bring justice and peace. The prophet describes a God who tends to his people with the care of a shepherd, gathering the lambs in his arms. This passage reminds us that even in times of darkness, God’s promise of redemption is always near. The second reading from 2 Peter shifts our gaze to the future, reminding us that the Lord’s timing is not our own. While we wait for the day of the Lord, we are called to live holy and blameless lives, trusting in God’s patience and mercy. Finally, the Gospel from Mark introduces John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the wilderness, calling people to repentance and baptism. John’s humility and clarity of purpose point us to the One who is to come, Jesus Christ, who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.
These readings are deeply connected, as they all point to the need for preparation and conversion. Isaiah prepares our hearts for the comfort of God’s presence, 2 Peter calls us to live with purpose as we await the Lord’s return, and Mark’s Gospel shows us how John the Baptist modeled repentance and humility as he prepared the way for Jesus. Together, they remind us that our faith is not static; it requires ongoing conversion and a willingness to be transformed by God’s grace.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How are we preparing our hearts and lives for the Lord’s presence? Are we living with the humility and repentance that John the Baptist exemplified? Are we trusting in God’s timing, even when the world around us seems uncertain? Let us take up the call to holiness, knowing that God is always near, guiding us and tending to us with the care of a shepherd. May we, like John, point others to Christ, and may our lives be a testament to the transformative power of his love.