Reading 1 Is 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 him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a 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 afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice 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 Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
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 for ever.
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 for ever.
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 for ever.
May 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.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Gospel Lk 10:21-24
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
Meditation: Luke 10:21-24
Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” (Luke 10:23)
Throughout history, God has always resisted the proud and welcomed the humble. Those who learn to rely on his grace can testify to this fact. They all know that there is no greater happiness than having a personal relationship with the God of all creation. They know that there is no greater privilege than knowing that this almighty, ever-living God is also a loving Father.
This promise is at the heart of today’s Gospel reading. Those who come to God in humility and trust enter into a relationship with him that is far more intimate than any other relationship they have ever known.
Think about the apostles, the ones Jesus referred to as “childlike.” One was a political activist, another a jaded tax collector, and still others rough-hewn fishermen. This was no naïve group! Yet these worldly-wise men learned how to trust in God the same way children instinctively trust their parents. Their hearts became softened as they learned a new innocence and openness with God and toward each other.
Like the apostles, most of us have experienced enough disappointment and betrayal to make us cautious about trusting anyone—especially a faraway God. But our heavenly Father continues to ask us to come to him without pretense. He invites us to be honest with him, to tell him plainly who we are and what we want out of life. He wants us to know that no matter what we say, his love for us can’t be shaken.
Take some time today to tell your heavenly Father about your fears, your struggles, your worries, and your sins—even the ones you’re not ready to let go of. He can handle it. Most important, tell him that you love him as a child loves his or her dad. You’ll be surprised at how comforting and encouraging your Father can be. Then, when Christmas comes, you won’t just be remembering the incarnation of his Son as a historical event. You’ll be celebrating the greatest gift your Father has ever given to you!
“Father, I have nothing to hide from you. I want to come to you today as a child. Please make me like your Son.”
Dear Father, bless me.
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