Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 16, 2023
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
In today's readings, we encounter the figure of Elijah, a prophet whose fiery spirit and powerful deeds are celebrated in the Book of Sirach. Elijah's ministry was marked by his unwavering commitment to God's will, even in the face of great adversity. He brought both judgment and restoration, calling the people back to fidelity. His dramatic departure in a whirlwind of fire, as noted in Sirach, underscores the extraordinary nature of his mission. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus sheds light on Elijah's role in the larger story of salvation. When the disciples ask about Elijah's expected return, Jesus reveals that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist. Just as Elijah prepared the way for the Lord in the Old Testament, John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus in the New Testament. However, just as Elijah was not recognized by many in his time, John the Baptist was also misunderstood and rejected by those who failed to see the significance of his mission.
These readings invite us to reflect on the theme of preparation and recognition. Elijah and John the Baptist were both called to be heralds of God's plan, but their messages were often met with resistance. This reminds us that God's ways are not always easy to discern, and His messengers may come to us in unexpected forms. In our own lives, we are called to be attentive to the ways in which God speaks to us through others, even when they challenge us or disrupt our comfortable routines. Just as Elijah and John the Baptist were instruments of God's transformation, we too are called to be instruments of His grace in the world.
As we go about our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Am I open to hearing God's voice in unexpected places? Am I willing to be transformed by His word? The stories of Elijah and John the Baptist teach us that preparation for the Lord's coming is not just a historical event but an ongoing process. May we, like these prophets, have the courage to embrace God's will, even when it calls us out of our comfort zones. Let us pray for the grace to recognize and follow God's plan, trusting that He is always working to bring about His kingdom in our hearts and in the world.