Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 15, 2023
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
In today’s readings, we hear two powerful messages about God’s guidance and humanity’s response to it. The first reading from Isaiah reminds us that God is our Redeemer and Teacher, who desires to lead us on the right path. Isaiah laments that if only the people had listened to God’s commandments, they would have experienced peace and justice in abundance. The prophet paints a vivid picture of the blessings that could have been theirs—offspring as countless as the sand and a name that would endure forever. Yet, the people’s failure to heed God’s word leads to loss and regret.
The Gospel from Matthew offers a complementary reflection. Jesus compares the current generation to stubborn children who refuse to respond to God’s messengers. John the Baptist came as an ascetic, fasting and avoiding worldly pleasures, yet people accused him of having a demon. Jesus, on the other hand, came eating and drinking, and people criticized him for being a glutton and a friend of sinners. Jesus’ point is clear: no matter how God’s messengers come—whether through austerity or through fellowship—some will always find a reason to reject them. Yet, Jesus affirms that true wisdom is vindicated by its fruits, not by the opinions of others.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God’s call. Like the Israelites in Isaiah’s time, we often fail to listen to God’s commandments, and like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, we can be quick to judge and slow to discern. Today’s readings call us to humility and openness. Let us ask ourselves: Am I truly listening to God’s voice in my life? Am I open to His guidance, whether it comes through words of challenge or through acts of love? May we learn to trust in God’s wisdom and to follow His path, even when it goes against the expectations of the world.