Daily Readings - Thu Dec 14 2023
Isaiah
13For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you."14Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.15Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff;16you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.17When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.18I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.19I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together,20that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Matthew
11Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,14and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.15He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful messages of trust, transformation, and the fulfillment of God’s promises. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of God’s providence and transformative power. Isaiah speaks to a people in exile, offering them hope and reassurance. God promises to take them by the hand, to provide for their needs, and to turn the desolate desert into a place of abundance. This passage is a reminder of God’s faithfulness and His ability to bring life out of barrenness. It invites us to trust in His plan, even when the road ahead seems uncertain.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to John the Baptist, who stands as a bridge between the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament era. Jesus praises John as the greatest among those born of women, yet He also points out that even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. This highlights the humility and uniqueness of John’s role. The kingdom of heaven, Jesus says, has endured violence, meaning that it demands radical commitment and sacrifice from those who seek it. John, as the precursor to Jesus, embodies this struggle and prepares the way for the Messiah. His life teaches us about the importance of humility, perseverance, and fulfilling our God-given mission.
Together, these readings call us to reflect on our relationship with God and our place in His plan. Isaiah reminds us to trust in God’s providence, even in the face of adversity, while Matthew challenges us to embrace the humility and courage exemplified by John the Baptist. In our daily lives, we are invited to surrender our fears and doubts to God, knowing that He will guide us. We are also called to live with humility and perseverance, recognizing that the kingdom of heaven requires us to strive for holiness and to trust in God’s transformative power. Let us ask for the grace to walk in faith, to trust in God’s plan, and to live with the courage and humility that these readings inspire.