Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 3, 2017
First Reading: Isaiah 63.16b-17; 64.1, 3-8
16But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.17Why, O LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance.
1Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!3For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.4Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.5You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?6All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.7No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.8Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Psalm 80
1Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth2before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us.3Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.4O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?5You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.6You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us.7Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.8You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.9You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.10The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.11It sent out its boughs to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.12Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?13Boars from the forest ravage it and the creatures of the field feed on it.14Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine,15the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.16Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish.17Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.18Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.19Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1.3-9
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.4I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.5For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge--6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.8He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Gospel: Mark 13.33-37
33Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.34It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.35"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.37What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter a common theme of preparation and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Isaiah is a heartfelt plea for God's return, acknowledging the people's sinfulness and their inability to be righteous without Him. The reading expresses a deep longing for redemption and a recognition of human frailty.
The second reading from 1 Corinthians shifts focus to the present, where Paul thanks God for the grace bestowed upon the Corinthians. He highlights their enrichment through Christ, emphasizing that they lack no spiritual gift as they await Christ's return. This serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the abundance of His grace in our lives.
The Gospel from Mark ties these themes together with Jesus' call to vigilance. Using the parable of the servants awaiting their master, Jesus underscores the importance of being prepared for His return at any moment. This call to watchfulness is not about fear but about living mindfully, rooted in faith and trust in God's timing.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to embrace a posture of readiness and gratitude. We are called to acknowledge our need for God, to trust in His faithfulness, and to remain spiritually alert. May we live each day with hearts open to His grace, ever-prepared to meet Him, whether in our personal journeys or in His ultimate return.