Daily Readings - Sun Jan 12 2025
Isaiah
1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.3A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."9Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"10Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.11He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
Titus
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,12training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,13waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Luke
15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,16John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Sermon
**Sermon Based on the Readings**
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the themes of preparation, grace, and the transformative power of God’s presence in our lives. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a message of comfort and hope directed to a people in exile. The prophet calls for the preparation of a way for the Lord, symbolizing the clearing of spiritual pathways for God’s arrival. This text, written during a time of despair, offers assurance that God’s mercy and forgiveness are forthcoming, urging the people to ready their hearts for His coming.
The second reading from Titus shifts our focus to the manifestation of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Titus emphasizes that God’s grace is not merely a future hope but a present reality that transforms us. This grace calls us to live virtuously, rejecting worldly desires and embracing a life of justice and piety. The reading reminds us that our salvation is not through our own efforts but through God’s mercy and the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel from Luke beautifully ties these themes together. John the Baptist, recognizing his role as a precursor to Jesus, humbly acknowledges the limitations of his baptism with water. The baptism of Jesus, accompanied by the descent of the Holy Spirit and the voice of the Father, signifies the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and the outpouring of Titus’s grace. This event is a powerful reminder of God’s love and our adoption as His children.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to prepare our hearts for God’s presence, much like Isaiah’s call to clear the way. We are invited to trust in God’s grace, as Titus reminds us, and to live out our faith in actions that reflect His love. Just as Jesus’s baptism marked the beginning of His mission, our own baptism calls us to a life of service and holiness. May we, like the people in the Gospel, open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, allowing God’s transformative grace to shape us anew.