Daily Readings - Sat Dec 09 2017

First Reading - Isaiah 30.19-21, 23-26

¹⁹For the people of Zion will live in Jerusalem. Bitterly, you will not weep. Mercifully, he will take pity on you. At the voice of your outcry, as soon as he hears, he will respond to you²⁰And the Lord will give you thick bread and accessible water. And he will not cause your teacher to fly away from you anymore. And your eyes will behold your instructor²¹And your ears will listen to the word of one admonishing you behind your back: "This is the way! Walk in it! And do not turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left.²³And wherever you sow seed upon the earth, rain will be given to the seed. And bread from the grain of the earth will be very plentiful and full. In that day, the lamb will pasture in the spacious land of your possession²⁴And your bulls, and the colts of the donkeys that work the ground, will eat a mix of grains like that winnowed on the threshing floor²⁵And there will be, on every lofty mountain, and on every elevated hill, rivers of running water, in the day of the slaughter of many, when the tower will fall²⁶And the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord will bind the wound of his people, and when he will heal the stroke of their scourge

Gospel - Matthew 9.35 – 10.1, 5a, 6-8

Matthew

Chapter 9

³⁵And Jesus traveled throughout all of the cities and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every illness and every infirmity³⁶Then, seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them, because they were distressed and were reclining, like sheep without a shepherd³⁷Then he said to his disciples: "The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few³⁸Therefore, petition the Lord of the harvest, so that he may sent out laborers to his harvest.

Chapter 10

¹And having called together his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to cure every sickness and every infirmity⁵Jesus sent these twelve, instructing them, saying: "Do not travel by the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter into the city of the Samaritans⁶but instead go to the sheep who have fallen away from the house of Israel⁷And going forth, preach, saying: ‘For the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.⁸Cure the infirm, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You have received freely, so give freely

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages of hope, compassion, and mission. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a future filled with abundance and healing, where God's people will live in Jerusalem, free from the bitterness of exile. The prophet describes a time when the Lord will provide for their needs, restore their teachers, and guide them on the right path. The imagery of rivers of running water and the light of the moon and sun symbolize the richness and fullness of life that God promises to his people. This passage is a message of hope to the Israelites during their time of exile, reminding them that God has not abandoned them and that a brighter future awaits. The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who embodies this divine compassion and mercy. Jesus travels through cities and towns, teaching, preaching, and healing. He sees the multitudes as "distressed and lying like sheep without a shepherd," and his heart goes out to them. Moved by their spiritual and physical needs, he calls his disciples to pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest. Jesus then commissions the Twelve, giving them authority to heal and cast out demons, and instructs them to focus their mission on the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." This passage highlights Jesus' deep concern for those who are lost and suffering, and it challenges us to share in his compassion and mission. These readings are deeply connected. Isaiah's vision of a restored and healed people finds its fulfillment in Jesus, who brings God's kingdom to earth through his ministry and through the mission of his disciples. Both readings call us to trust in God's providence and to participate in his work of healing and restoration. In our daily lives, we are invited to imitate Jesus' compassion by reaching out to those around us who are hurting or lost. Like the disciples, we are called to be laborers in God's harvest, sharing the Good News and bringing light and hope to a world in need. May we, like Jesus, see the needs of others with hearts full of mercy and respond with faith and generosity.