Daily Readings - Mon Dec 04 2023
Isaiah
1The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.2It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,3and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.4He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.5O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Matthew
5When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,6"Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly."7And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."8But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."10When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.11I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,13And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the themes of faith, trust, and the universal call to God’s kingdom. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vision of a future where all nations stream to the mountain of the Lord, seeking his ways and living in peace. Swords are beaten into plowshares, and war is no more. This is a messianic vision, a hope for a world transformed by God’s presence and law. It speaks to a time when humanity, tired of conflict and division, turns to the Lord for guidance and harmony. The context is one of longing for a world at peace, where God’s light shines brightly for all to see.
The Gospel continues this theme with the story of the centurion, a Roman soldier, who approaches Jesus with humility and faith. Despite his position of authority, the centurion recognizes his unworthiness and trusts completely in Jesus’ power to heal his servant. His faith is remarkable because he is not a Jew, yet he believes in Jesus’ authority. Jesus praises his faith and heals the servant instantly. This story shows us that God’s kingdom is not limited to one people or place; it is universal. The centurion’s faith is an example for us, teaching us to trust in God’s power and to recognize that his love and mercy extend to all people.
These readings call us to reflect on our own faith and trust in God. Like the centurion, we are called to approach God with humility and confidence, knowing that he can do great things in our lives. The vision from Isaiah reminds us that we are part of a larger story, a story of God’s plan to bring all people together in peace and unity. As we go about our daily lives, let us strive to live with the kind of faith that sees beyond the present moment, trusting in God’s plan. May we, like the centurion, be open to the universal call of God’s kingdom and work toward a world where all people can walk in the light of the Lord.