Daily Readings - Sun Dec 10 2017

First Reading - Isaiah 40.1-5, 9-11

¹Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.²Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.⁴Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:⁵And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.⁹O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!¹⁰Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.¹¹He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Second Reading - 2 Peter 3.8-14

2 Peter

Chapter 3

⁸But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.⁹The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.¹¹Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,¹²Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?¹³Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.¹⁴Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Gospel - Mark 1.1-8

Mark

Chapter 1

¹The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;²As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.³The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.⁴John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.⁵And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.⁶And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;⁷And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.⁸I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we hear a powerful message of preparation, hope, and transformation. The first reading from Isaiah offers words of comfort to a people in exile, urging them to prepare for the coming of the Lord who will bring justice and peace. The prophet describes a God who tends to his people with the care of a shepherd, gathering the lambs in his arms. This passage reminds us that even in times of darkness, God’s promise of redemption is always near. The second reading from 2 Peter shifts our gaze to the future, reminding us that the Lord’s timing is not our own. While we wait for the day of the Lord, we are called to live holy and blameless lives, trusting in God’s patience and mercy. Finally, the Gospel from Mark introduces John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the wilderness, calling people to repentance and baptism. John’s humility and clarity of purpose point us to the One who is to come, Jesus Christ, who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. These readings are deeply connected, as they all point to the need for preparation and conversion. Isaiah prepares our hearts for the comfort of God’s presence, 2 Peter calls us to live with purpose as we await the Lord’s return, and Mark’s Gospel shows us how John the Baptist modeled repentance and humility as he prepared the way for Jesus. Together, they remind us that our faith is not static; it requires ongoing conversion and a willingness to be transformed by God’s grace. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How are we preparing our hearts and lives for the Lord’s presence? Are we living with the humility and repentance that John the Baptist exemplified? Are we trusting in God’s timing, even when the world around us seems uncertain? Let us take up the call to holiness, knowing that God is always near, guiding us and tending to us with the care of a shepherd. May we, like John, point others to Christ, and may our lives be a testament to the transformative power of his love.