Daily Readings - Mon Dec 11 2017

First Reading - Isaiah 35.1-10

¹The desolate and impassable land will rejoice, and the place of solitude will exult, and it will flourish like the lily²It will spring up and blossom, and it will exult with rejoicing and praising. The glory of Lebanon has been given to it, with the beauty of Carmel and Sharon. These will see the glory of the Lord and the beauty of our God³Strengthen the lax hands, and confirm the weak knees⁴Say to the fainthearted: "Take courage and fear not! Behold, your God will bring the vindication of retribution. God himself will arrive to save you.⁵Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be cleared⁶Then the disabled will leap like a buck, and the tongue of the mute will be untied. For the waters have burst forth in the desert, and torrents in solitary places⁷And the land that was dry will have a pond, and the thirsty land will have fountains of water. In the hollows where the serpents lived before, there will rise up the greenery of reed and bulrush⁸And there shall be a path and a road in that place. And it will be called the Holy Way. The defiled will not pass through it. For this will be an upright path for you, so much so that the foolish will not wander along it⁹There will be no lions in that place, and harmful wild animals will neither climb up to it, nor be found there. Only those who have been freed will walk in that place¹⁰And the redeemed of the Lord will be converted, and they will return to Zion with praising. And everlasting joy will be upon their heads. They will obtain gladness and rejoicing. For pain and sorrow will flee away

Gospel - Luke 5.17-26

Luke

Chapter 5

¹⁷And it happened, on a certain day, that he again sat down, teaching. And there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting nearby, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present, to heal them¹⁸And behold, some men were carrying in the bed of a man who was paralyzed. And they sought a way to bring him in, and to place him before him¹⁹And not finding a way by which they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they climbed up to the roof, and they let him down through the roof tiles with his bed, into their midst, in front of Jesus²⁰And when he saw his faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you.²¹And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: "Who is this, who is speaking blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins, except God alone?²²But when Jesus realized their thoughts, responding, he said to them: "What are you thinking in your hearts²³Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?²⁴But so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins," he said to the paralytic, "I say to you to: Rise up, take up your bed, and go into your house.²⁵And at once, rising up in their sight, he took up the bed on which he was lying, and he went away to his own house, magnifying God²⁶And astonishment took hold of everyone, and they were magnifying God. And they were filled with fear, saying: "For we have seen miracles today.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful narratives of healing and redemption, reminding us of God's transformative power in our lives. The passage from Isaiah 35 paints a vivid picture of a barren land blossoming into life, symbolizing the spiritual renewal of God's people. It speaks of the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, and the lame leaping, illustrating a world restored to wholeness through God's grace. This vision of restoration is not just physical but deeply spiritual, offering hope to those in exile and despair. In the Gospel of Luke, we witness Jesus' authority to forgive sins and heal the paralytic man. This miracle underscores the unity of spiritual and physical healing, as Jesus first forgives the man's sins and then heals his body. The faith of the paralytic's friends, who went to great lengths to bring him to Jesus, teaches us about the power of trust and perseverance in seeking God's help. Their actions remind us that our faith can be a source of healing for others. These readings invite us to reflect on our own lives. Just as the desolate land in Isaiah and the paralytic in Luke experienced transformation, we too can trust in God's power to heal our brokenness. Whether we are dealing with emotional, spiritual, or physical challenges, we are called to approach God with faith, knowing that He desires our wholeness. Let us, like the friends of the paralytic, bring our needs and those of others to Jesus, confident in His mercy and love. May we walk in the hope of restoration, trusting that God's grace can bring light and life to even the darkest places.