Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 7, 2024
First Reading: Isaiah 30.19-21, 23-26
19O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.20Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.21Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."23He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows.24The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel.25In the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every lofty hill.26The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.
Psalm 147
1Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!2The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.3He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.4He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.5Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.6The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.8He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.9He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.10His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;11the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.12Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,13for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.14He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.15He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.16He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.17He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?18He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.19He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel.20He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD.
Gospel: Matthew 9.35 – 10.1, 5a, 6-8
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound messages of hope, compassion, and mission. The prophet Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a restored Jerusalem, where God's people live in peace and prosperity, guided by His wisdom. This vision is not just a distant dream but a promise of renewal and healing, where the land is fertile, and the people are led by compassionate teachers. Isaiah's words remind us of God's enduring love and His plan to restore all things.
In the Gospel, Jesus embodies this divine compassion. As He travels through the cities and towns, He sees the crowds as sheep without a shepherd—vulnerable and in need of guidance. Moved by their distress, He calls on His disciples to pray for more laborers to join in the harvest of souls. Jesus then empowers His disciples, sending them out to preach, heal, and bring hope to those who have wandered away. This mission is not just for the disciples of old; it is a call to each of us to share in the work of bringing God's love to a world in need.
These readings invite us to reflect on our role in God's plan. Just as Isaiah looked forward to a time of restoration and Jesus called His disciples to action, we too are called to be instruments of healing and hope. In our daily lives, we can embody this mission by offering a listening ear, a comforting word, or a helping hand. Let us pray for the grace to see the needs of those around us and to respond with the same compassion and courage that Jesus showed. May we trust in God's plan and be faithful laborers in His harvest, bringing light and love to a world that so desperately needs it.