Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 10, 2022
First Reading: Sirach 48.1-4, 9-11
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Psalm 80
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us!3Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!4O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?5You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure.6You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.7Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!8You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.9You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.10The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.11It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River.12Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?13The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.14Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,15the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.16They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face!17But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!18Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!19Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Gospel: Matthew 17.10-13
10And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?"11He answered, "Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands."13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter the figure of Elijah, a powerful prophet from the Old Testament, and the way he prefigures the coming of John the Baptist in the Gospel. The first reading from Sirach praises Elijah for his fiery zeal, his miracles, and his role in restoring the people’s relationship with God. The Gospel, however, shifts our focus to the present. Jesus explains to his disciples that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist, though the people of his time failed to recognize him. This teaches us that God often works in ways that are unexpected and unseen to those who are not attentive.
The connection between the two readings lies in the theme of preparation and purification. Elijah was sent to restore all things, to bring the people back to the Lord, and to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. Similarly, John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus, calling people to repentance and baptizing them in the wilderness. Both figures remind us that our faith requires purification and readiness. Just as Elijah and John called their people to conversion, we too are called to examine our lives and turn away from sin.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Am I open to the ways in which God is working in my life, even if they are unexpected? Am I attentive to the prophets and messengers God sends to guide me? Let us strive to live with the same zeal and fidelity as Elijah and John the Baptist, trusting that God is always at work, even when we do not see it immediately. May we be purified by repentance and prepared to receive the Lord in our lives, just as Elijah and John prepared the way for the Messiah.