Daily Readings for December 17, 2017

Third Sunday of Advent

1ST READING

This is a beautiful Old Testament passage that tells how a man or woman of God should live. The second part of the text today talks about the joy of living according to God’s will. No matter what bad press God gets today, the truth is that when we live according to His will, there will always be joy within us, knowing that we are doing what God wants us to do.

Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11

1 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, 2 to announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God. 10 I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. 11 As the earth brings forth its plants, and a garden makes its growth spring up, so will the Lord God make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.

P S A L M

Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54

R: My soul rejoices in my God.

46 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; 47 my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed. (R) 49 The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. 50 He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. (R)53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has come to help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy. (R)

2ND READING

St. Paul seems to be out of his mind when he tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. He is right because there is always something to be grateful to God for. He is not saying that everything we experience in life is good, but that whatever is happening is an opportunity to discover the goodness of God. Sometimes, this is easy to do; at other times, especially during trials, it can be more difficult.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

16 Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 Test everything; retain what is good. 22 Refrain from every kind of evil. 23 May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it.

GOSPEL

Our lives should witness to the truth of the Gospel. We ought to simplify the opportunities for others to respond to God’s call of love. We should not make it more difficult for them to follow God. If we give a good witness to the Gospel, we will implicitly encourage others to do the same.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.

John 1:6-8, 19-28

6 A man named John was sent from God. 7 He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. 19 And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.” 21 So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” 23 He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 Some Pharisees were also sent. 25 They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, 27 the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Daily Readings for December 16, 2017

1ST READING

One of the greatest and constant challenges that we face in life is that of integrity. It is much easier to know what is good and right than to live it in our lives. As Christians we must never tire of doing the right thing no matter what others may say to us or think of us in the process. If it is the right thing to do then that is what we should do and be grateful that God has shown us how we can glorify Him in even the littlest decisions of our lives.

Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8 (or Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11)

1 Thus says the Lord: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this, the son of man who holds to it; who keeps the sabbath free from profanation, and his hand from any evildoing. 3 Let not the foreigner say, when he would join himself to the Lord, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” 6 The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, ministering to him, loving the name of the Lord, and becoming his servants — all who keep the Sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, 7 them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. 8 Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: Others will I gather to him besides those already gathered.

P S A L M

Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 7-8 (or Psalm 80:2, 3, 15-16, 18-19)

R: O God, let all the nations praise you!

1 [2] May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. 2 [3] So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (R) 4 [5] May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. (R) 6 [7] The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us. 7 [8] May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus knows who He is and why He is here on earth. This is why it is good to know what God wants us to do with our lives – it gives us clear direction in a world that can be a very confusing place to live. It is a great help to know what God wants us to do as this knowledge filters down into all our decisions. In my personal experience, when I chose to become a priest, I knew that it was a decision that would have ramifications for the rest of my life. This is a good thing – it is simply not possible to keep our options open all the time.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Come, Lord, bring us your peace that we may rejoice before you with a perfect heart.

John 5:33-36 (or Matthew 17:9, 10-13)

33 Jesus said to the Jews: “You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. 34 I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”

Daily Readings for December 15, 2017

1ST READING

Isaiah reminds the Israelites that they should listen to God and not simply do whatever they feel like doing. They should discern the plan of God for them and follow it. The same is true for us. We live in a world that exalts, even glorifies, self-will and this is not always healthy. Our personal desires are not always good for us as they can be influenced by sin and temptation.

Isaiah 48:17-19

17 Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. 18 If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea; 19 your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence.

P S A L M

Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6

R: Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

1 Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, 2 but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night. (R) 3 He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers. (R) 4 Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes. (R)

GOSPEL

The last line of the Gospel today is important. It reminds us of the truth that we can know a person by the fruits of his life. Wisdom is proven by the results of our actions. For example, if we choose to mix with people who are corrupt and sinful, then we will dive into the same pitfalls. The fruit of that choice will not be good and therefore proven unwise. Let us discern before we act.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Lord will come; go out to meet him! He is the prince of peace.

Matthew 11:16-19

16 Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, 17 ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

Daily Readings for December 14, 2017

1ST READING

God comforts us especially in our worst moments. Today we celebrate the Feast of St. John of the Cross, who endured much suffering as he reformed the Carmelite Order. He never faltered in his commitment because he believed that he was doing God’s will. This kind of faith is what we need to pray for when we encounter difficulties.

Isaiah 41:13-20

13 I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I will help you.” 14 Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the Lord; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 15 I will make of you a threshing sledge, sharp, new, and double-edged, to thresh the mountains and crush them, to make the hills like chaff. 16 When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off and the storm shall scatter them. But you shall rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 18 I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water. 19 I will plant in the desert the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive; I will set in the wasteland the cypress, together with the plane tree and the pine, 20 That all may see and know, observe and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

P S A L M

Psalm 145:1, 9, 10-11, 12-13

R: The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.

1 I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. 9 The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 10 Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 12 Let them make known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. 13 Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus says there is no one born of a woman who is greater than John the Baptist, and yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than him. He emphasized that a lived faith, not heritage, makes a person great. We must allow our faith to guide and empower us, so that we will become true citizens of the Kingdom of God. By living according to God’s will, we will become the greatest person we can be, both in the eyes of God and all men and women of faith.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.

Matthew 11:11-15

11 Jesus said to the crowds: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. 13 All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. 15 Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Daily Readings for December 13, 2017

1ST READING

The Lord promises to the faithful that they will never grow weary, or to put it in another way, He will always provide them the strength to do His will. This is an important promise. We can never use the excuse that we are not strong enough to do something, or we do not have the resources to follow God’s will. Through Isaiah God promises that He will provide the rest that we need.

Isaiah 40:25-31

27 [25] To whom can you liken me as an equal? Says the Holy One. 28 [26] Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these. He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing! 29 [27] Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 30 [28] Do you not know or have you not heard? The Lord is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. 31 [29] He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound. 32 [30] Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, 33 [31] they that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.

P S A L M

Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10

R: O bless the Lord, my soul!

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (R) 3 He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. 4 He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. (R) 8 Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. 10 Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus tells us that He will carry our burdens. His yoke, the yoke of the Holy Spirit, will bring ease to our lives if we trust Him. This is what discipleship is all about — surrendering our lives to Jesus and following where He leads. God created us and He knows what is best for us.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him.

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”