Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 11, 2025
First Reading: Isaiah 41.13-20
13For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.14Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.15"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.16You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.17"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.18I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.19I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together,20so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Psalm 145
1I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.2Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.3Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.4One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.5They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.6They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.7They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.8The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.9The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.10All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.11They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,12so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.14The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.16You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.17The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.18The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.19He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.20The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.21My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
Gospel: Matthew 11.11-15
11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.15He who has ears, let him hear.
Sermon
The prophet Isaiah brings a powerful message of comfort and transformation to a people feeling utterly insignificant, describing them as the "worm of Jacob." God assures them He takes them by the hand, promising to turn their weakness into an instrument of power, to make their desolate places fruitful with rivers and new growth, so all may see that His hand has accomplished this. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of John the Baptist's unique place in salvation history, declaring him the greatest among those born of women, yet reminding us that even the least in the Kingdom of Heaven holds a greater dignity. He identifies John as the awaited Elijah, the one who fulfills prophecy, and notes that the Kingdom of Heaven has endured violence, requiring a resolute commitment from those who would enter.
These readings speak to God's profound intervention in human history and in our personal lives. Just as God promised to empower the seemingly helpless Israel, turning their desert into an oasis, so too does He offer us strength and provision in our moments of weakness and spiritual dryness. We are often like the "worm of Jacob," feeling small and overwhelmed by life's challenges, yet God promises to make us instruments of His grace. John the Baptist, in his wilderness ministry, points to this radical transformation, calling us to prepare the way for the Kingdom.
The spiritual lesson for us is to never despair in our struggles, for our God is not distant but intimately present, holding us by the hand. We are called to heed the words of Christ and the prophets, to recognize God’s active presence in our world, and to respond with courage to the call of the Kingdom. This requires more than mere acknowledgement; it demands a vigorous commitment, a "violence" of intention against the pull of the world, to truly live out the values of the Gospel. In doing so, we discover that God transforms our weakness into strength, our barrenness into fruitfulness, and grants us a dignity in His Kingdom far surpassing any earthly greatness.