Daily Readings - Sun Dec 03 2017

First Reading - Isaiah 63.16b-17; 64.1, 3-8

¹⁶Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.¹⁷O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Chapter 64

¹Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,³When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.⁴For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.⁵Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.⁶But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.⁷And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.⁸But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 1.3-9

1 Corinthians

Chapter 1

³Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.⁴I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;⁵That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;⁶Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:⁷So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:⁸Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.⁹God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel - Mark 13.33-37

Mark

Chapter 13

³³Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.³⁴For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.³⁵Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:³⁶Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.³⁷And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter a common theme of preparation and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Isaiah is a heartfelt plea for God's return, acknowledging the people's sinfulness and their inability to be righteous without Him. The reading expresses a deep longing for redemption and a recognition of human frailty. The second reading from 1 Corinthians shifts focus to the present, where Paul thanks God for the grace bestowed upon the Corinthians. He highlights their enrichment through Christ, emphasizing that they lack no spiritual gift as they await Christ's return. This serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the abundance of His grace in our lives. The Gospel from Mark ties these themes together with Jesus' call to vigilance. Using the parable of the servants awaiting their master, Jesus underscores the importance of being prepared for His return at any moment. This call to watchfulness is not about fear but about living mindfully, rooted in faith and trust in God's timing. In our daily lives, these readings invite us to embrace a posture of readiness and gratitude. We are called to acknowledge our need for God, to trust in His faithfulness, and to remain spiritually alert. May we live each day with hearts open to His grace, ever-prepared to meet Him, whether in our personal journeys or in His ultimate return.