Daily Readings - Tue Dec 03 2019

Isaiah

1There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.2And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.3And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.5Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.6The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.7The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.9They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.10In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Luke

21In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.22All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."23Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!24For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of hope, justice, and the revelation of God’s plan. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a beautiful vision of the Messiah, a shoot from the root of Jesse, who will bring peace and harmony to the world. This Messiah is not a warrior but a ruler filled with the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and justice. He will judge the poor with fairness and bring together even the fiercest of enemies, creating a world where harm and violence cease. Isaiah’s prophecy reminds us of God’s promise to restore creation and fill the earth with the knowledge of the Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit, praising the Father for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to the simple and the humble. He emphasizes that true understanding comes not from human wisdom but from a childlike trust in God. Jesus reminds us that many prophets and kings longed to see what we see but did not have the grace to understand. This teaching challenges us to approach God with humility, recognizing that spiritual truths are not reserved for the learned or the powerful but are accessible to all who have open hearts. Together, these readings call us to live with hope and humility. Isaiah’s vision encourages us to trust in God’s plan for a world transformed by justice and peace. Jesus’ words remind us that this transformation begins in our own hearts through a simple, trusting relationship with God. In our daily lives, we are invited to embody this hope by seeking justice, living peacefully with others, and approaching life with the humility of a child. May we, like the little ones, see and hear the wonders of God’s kingdom, and may our lives reflect the harmony and love that God desires for the world.