Sunday, December 08, 2019

God’s kingship is perfect. We should humbly, sincerely, seek Him. We should follow His example of justice for and mercy to the weak. (Readings for Dec. 8, 2019, Lectionary 4)

Key:
What these readings tell us about God
What these readings tell us to do
What these readings tell us not to do
Hyperlinks to additional resources

Reading 1: Isaiah 11:1-10
On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon hima spirit of wisdom and of understandinga spirit of counsel and of strengtha spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflictedHe shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wickedJustice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea

On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17  
R.  Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son; he shall 
govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.
For he shall 
rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall 
have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.
May 
his name be blessed foreveras long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessedall the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

Reading 2: Romans 15:4-9  
Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

May the God of endurance and encouragement  grant you to 
think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus,  that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.

For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness,  to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name.

Alleluia: Luke 3:4, 6  
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Prepare the way of the Lordmake straight his pathsall flesh shall see the salvation of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12  
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire

I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

What these readings tell us about God:
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him
a spirit of wisdom
understanding
a spirit of counsel
strength
a spirit of knowledge
fear of the LORD
his delight shall be the fear of the LORD
he shall judge the poor with justice
decide aright for the land's afflicted
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth
with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked
Justice shall be the band around his waist
faithfulness a belt upon his hips
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain
the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever
your justice
he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace
he rule from sea to sea
from the River to the ends of the earth
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever
he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever
his name be blessed forever
as long as the sun his name shall remain
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever
Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction
by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope
the God of endurance and encouragement  
Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs
the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy
all flesh shall see the salvation of God
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones
every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire
He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire

What these readings tell us to do:
judge the poor with justice
decide aright for the land's afflicted
govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment
rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him
have pity for the lowly and the poor
lives of the poor he shall save
his name be blessed forever
by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope 
think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus
with one accord 
with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you
praise [God] among the Gentiles 
sing praises to [God’s] name
Prepare the way of the Lord
make straight his paths
Repent
going out to him 
acknowledged their sins
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance
bear good fruit

What the readings tell us not to do:
Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide
do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'

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