Daily Readings - Tue Dec 01 2020
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
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s revelation and the humility required to receive it. 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 justice to the world. The Messiah is depicted as one filled with the Spirit of the Lord, who will judge the poor with justice and slay the wicked with the breath of his mouth. Isaiah’s vision is one of harmony, where even natural enemies will live in peace, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. This passage, written in a time of hope and longing for Israel, reminds us that God’s plan for redemption is one of peace and justice, and that the Messiah will come to fulfill this plan.
In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus rejoicing in the Holy Spirit for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to the simple and the humble. Jesus acknowledges that while many prophets and kings desired to see and hear what the disciples experience, it is the humble and the little ones who are granted this grace. This passage underscores the theme of humility and trust in God’s plan. Jesus emphasizes that true understanding comes not from human wisdom but from a childlike openness to God’s revelation. The Father’s pleasure is in revealing Himself to those who are willing to receive His truth with a humble heart.
These readings remind us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His wisdom is not the wisdom of the world. The Messiah comes not as a mighty warrior but as a humble servant, bringing peace and justice through the power of the Spirit. For us, this means cultivating humility and openness to God’s Word. In a world often driven by power and knowledge, we are called to trust in God’s plan and to receive His truth with simplicity and faith. Let us ask for the grace to see with the eyes of faith and to hear with the ears of the heart, that we may truly know the Father and the Son, and share in the joy of His revelation.