Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 14, 2019
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 lives of two great figures: the prophet Elijah and John the Baptist. In the first reading from Sirach, Elijah is portrayed as a fiery prophet whose words and actions were powerful instruments of God’s will. He brought famine, called down fire from heaven, and was eventually taken up in a whirlwind of fire—a sign of his unique role in God’s plan. The passage highlights Elijah’s mission to restore balance and reconcile the people with God, emphasizing his transformative impact on Israel.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples about Elijah in response to their question about why the scribes believed Elijah must come before the Messiah. Jesus reveals that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist, though the people failed to recognize him. This connection between Elijah and John the Baptist underscores the continuity of God’s plan and the recurring theme of preparation for the Messiah. Just as Elijah was rejected and suffered, so too did John the Baptist—and so would Jesus himself.
These readings remind us that God often works through unexpected and unrecognized ways. Like Elijah and John the Baptist, we are called to be prophets in our own time, preparing the way for the Lord by living with integrity, speaking the truth, and remaining faithful even in the face of rejection. Let us ask ourselves: Are we open to recognizing God’s messengers in our lives? Do we have the courage to stand firm in our faith, even when it is difficult? May we learn from Elijah and John the Baptist to trust in God’s plan and to embrace our role in bringing His light to the world.