Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 16, 2017
First Reading: Sirach 48.1-4, 9-11
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Psalm 80
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.3Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.4O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?5Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.6Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.7Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.8Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.9Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.10The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.11She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.12Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?13The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.14Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;15And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.16It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.17Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.18So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.19Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Gospel: Matthew 17.10-13
10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the figure of Elijah, the prophet, and his role in preparing the way for the coming of the Lord. In the first reading from Sirach, we hear of Elijah’s fiery spirit and his mission to restore balance and reconcile the people with God. He was a man of great power and zeal, called by God to bring His people back to faithfulness. The reading highlights Elijah’s dramatic departure in a whirlwind of fire, a sign of his unique role in God’s plan. This passage reminds us of the importance of prophets in the history of salvation—those who call God’s people to repentance and renewal.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples about Elijah, explaining that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist. The disciples were confused because they expected Elijah to precede the Messiah, as the scribes taught. Jesus clarifies that Elijah’s spirit was present in John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the Lord by calling people to repentance. However, just as Elijah and John the Baptist faced rejection and suffering, so too would Jesus suffer at the hands of those who refused to listen. This passage challenges us to recognize the ways in which God works through unexpected figures and circumstances to fulfill His plan.
These readings call us to reflect on our own openness to God’s messengers in our lives. Just as Elijah and John the Baptist were sent to call the people to repentance, we too are called to live lives of conversion and to help others do the same. We must not be like those who failed to recognize Elijah or John, missing the opportunity to respond to God’s grace. Instead, we should approach each day with humility and discernment, seeking to hear God’s voice in the unexpected places and people He sends into our lives. Let us ask for the grace to be attentive to His presence and to follow His will with courage and faith.