Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 10, 2022

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

Matthew

Chapter 17

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

In today’s readings, we encounter the figure of Elijah, a powerful prophet from the Old Testament, and the way he prefigures the coming of John the Baptist in the Gospel. The first reading from Sirach praises Elijah for his fiery zeal, his miracles, and his role in restoring the people’s relationship with God. The Gospel, however, shifts our focus to the present. Jesus explains to his disciples that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist, though the people of his time failed to recognize him. This teaches us that God often works in ways that are unexpected and unseen to those who are not attentive. The connection between the two readings lies in the theme of preparation and purification. Elijah was sent to restore all things, to bring the people back to the Lord, and to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. Similarly, John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus, calling people to repentance and baptizing them in the wilderness. Both figures remind us that our faith requires purification and readiness. Just as Elijah and John called their people to conversion, we too are called to examine our lives and turn away from sin. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Am I open to the ways in which God is working in my life, even if they are unexpected? Am I attentive to the prophets and messengers God sends to guide me? Let us strive to live with the same zeal and fidelity as Elijah and John the Baptist, trusting that God is always at work, even when we do not see it immediately. May we be purified by repentance and prepared to receive the Lord in our lives, just as Elijah and John prepared the way for the Messiah.