Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 11, 2020
First Reading: Isaiah 48.17-19
17This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.18If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.19Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be cut off nor destroyed from before me."
Psalm 1
1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.4Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.6For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Gospel: Matthew 11.16-19
16"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:17"'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.'18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between God’s guidance and our response to it. In the first reading from Isaiah, the prophet speaks on behalf of God, reminding the people of Israel that the Lord is their Redeemer and Teacher. He laments that if only they had listened to His commandments, they would have known peace and justice in abundance. This passage is set in the context of Israel’s history, where the people often turned away from God’s laws, leading to exile and hardship. Isaiah’s words are a call to return to fidelity, promising that faithfulness to God’s ways would have brought them prosperity and stability.
In the Gospel, Jesus addresses a similar theme but in a different context. He criticizes the current generation for their inability to recognize God’s wisdom, whether it comes through John the Baptist’s austerity or His own compassionate ministry. John was rejected for being too strict, and Jesus was rejected for being too welcoming and associating with sinners. Jesus’ words highlight the tendency to judge God’s messengers based on preconceived notions rather than openness to the truth. True wisdom, He says, is vindicated by those who embrace it and live according to it.
Both readings challenge us to examine our own responsiveness to God’s will. Isaiah reminds us that peace and justice flow from obedience to God’s commandments, while Jesus warns against a stubborn resistance to the ways God chooses to reveal Himself. In our daily lives, we are called to humility and openness, recognizing that God’s wisdom may come in unexpected forms. Let us pray for the grace to listen with receptive hearts, trusting in His guidance and living in a way that reflects His love and justice.