Daily Reading & Reflection: Saturday (December 6): "The kingdom of heaven is at hand"

First Reading

Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26

19Yea, O people in Zion who dwell at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. 20And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 23And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your cattle will graze in large pastures; 24and the oxen and the asses that till the ground will eat salted provender, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25And upon every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the hurt of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalms 147:1-6

1Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is seemly. 2The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. 4He determines the number of the stars, he gives to all of them their names. 5Great is our LORD, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. 6The LORD lifts up the downtrodden, he casts the wicked to the ground.

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Gospel

Matthew 9:35--10:1, 5, 6-8

95For which is easier, to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Rise and walk'? 6But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." 7And he rose and went home. 8When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. 35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."101And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. 

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REFLECTION

 

Jesus says that he needs more laborers in his vineyard. What have I done to be a better laborer in the vineyard of the Lord?

Lord, you call me always to help you in your vineyard. Grant me the strength to answer your call and the wisdom to understand what you are calling me to do and in what areas I may be most useful to you. Amen