Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 16, 2023

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 prophet whose fiery spirit and powerful deeds are celebrated in the Book of Sirach. Elijah's ministry was marked by his unwavering commitment to God's will, even in the face of great adversity. He brought both judgment and restoration, calling the people back to fidelity. His dramatic departure in a whirlwind of fire, as noted in Sirach, underscores the extraordinary nature of his mission. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus sheds light on Elijah's role in the larger story of salvation. When the disciples ask about Elijah's expected return, Jesus reveals that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist. Just as Elijah prepared the way for the Lord in the Old Testament, John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus in the New Testament. However, just as Elijah was not recognized by many in his time, John the Baptist was also misunderstood and rejected by those who failed to see the significance of his mission. These readings invite us to reflect on the theme of preparation and recognition. Elijah and John the Baptist were both called to be heralds of God's plan, but their messages were often met with resistance. This reminds us that God's ways are not always easy to discern, and His messengers may come to us in unexpected forms. In our own lives, we are called to be attentive to the ways in which God speaks to us through others, even when they challenge us or disrupt our comfortable routines. Just as Elijah and John the Baptist were instruments of God's transformation, we too are called to be instruments of His grace in the world. As we go about our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Am I open to hearing God's voice in unexpected places? Am I willing to be transformed by His word? The stories of Elijah and John the Baptist teach us that preparation for the Lord's coming is not just a historical event but an ongoing process. May we, like these prophets, have the courage to embrace God's will, even when it calls us out of our comfort zones. Let us pray for the grace to recognize and follow God's plan, trusting that He is always working to bring about His kingdom in our hearts and in the world.