Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 1, 2020
First Reading: Isaiah 11.1-10
1And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:2And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;3And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:4But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.5And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.6The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.10And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Psalm 72
1Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.2He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.3The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.4He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.5They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.6He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.7In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.8He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.9They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.11Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.12For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.13He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.14He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.15And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.16There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.17His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.18Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.19And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.20The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Gospel: Luke 10.21-24
21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.22All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.23And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:24For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Sermon
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s revelation and the humility required to receive it. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a beautiful vision of the Messiah, a shoot from the root of Jesse, who will bring peace and justice to the world. The Messiah is depicted as one filled with the Spirit of the Lord, who will judge the poor with justice and slay the wicked with the breath of his mouth. Isaiah’s vision is one of harmony, where even natural enemies will live in peace, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. This passage, written in a time of hope and longing for Israel, reminds us that God’s plan for redemption is one of peace and justice, and that the Messiah will come to fulfill this plan.
In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus rejoicing in the Holy Spirit for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to the simple and the humble. Jesus acknowledges that while many prophets and kings desired to see and hear what the disciples experience, it is the humble and the little ones who are granted this grace. This passage underscores the theme of humility and trust in God’s plan. Jesus emphasizes that true understanding comes not from human wisdom but from a childlike openness to God’s revelation. The Father’s pleasure is in revealing Himself to those who are willing to receive His truth with a humble heart.
These readings remind us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His wisdom is not the wisdom of the world. The Messiah comes not as a mighty warrior but as a humble servant, bringing peace and justice through the power of the Spirit. For us, this means cultivating humility and openness to God’s Word. In a world often driven by power and knowledge, we are called to trust in God’s plan and to receive His truth with simplicity and faith. Let us ask for the grace to see with the eyes of faith and to hear with the ears of the heart, that we may truly know the Father and the Son, and share in the joy of His revelation.