Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 11, 2021
First Reading: Sirach 48.1-4, 9-11
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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.
Gospel: Matthew 17.10-13
10The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"11Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.12But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."13Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the figure of Elijah, a prophet whose fiery spirit and unwavering dedication to God left an indelible mark on Israel’s history. In the first reading from Sirach, Elijah is portrayed as a powerful instrument of God’s judgment and mercy. He brought famine upon the land, called down fire from heaven, and was eventually taken up in a whirlwind, a sign of his unique relationship with God. The passage highlights Elijah’s role as a restorer of balance and a reconciler, sent to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.
In the Gospel, Jesus engages his disciples in a conversation about Elijah, revealing that the prophet’s spirit had already been fulfilled in the person of John the Baptist. The disciples, like many of their contemporaries, were expecting Elijah to return in a dramatic fashion to herald the Messiah’s arrival. Jesus gently corrects them, explaining that Elijah’s coming was not about grandeur but about humility and preparation. John the Baptist, in his simple yet courageous witness, fulfilled the role of Elijah by calling people to repentance and pointing them to the Messiah.
These readings remind us that God often works in unexpected ways, through ordinary people and humble circumstances. Like Elijah and John the Baptist, we are called to be instruments of God’s mercy and truth in our own time. This means being open to recognizing God’s presence in the world around us, even when it doesn’t fit our expectations. It also calls us to live with integrity, preparing the way for others to encounter God by the way we live and love. Let us ask for the grace to be like Elijah and John—faithful, courageous, and attentive to the voice of God, so that we too can bring light and hope to a world in need.