First reading Isaiah 41:13-20
I, the Holy One of Israel, am your redeemer
I, the Lord, your God,
I am holding you by the right hand;
I tell you, ‘Do not be afraid,
I will help you.’
Do not be afraid, Jacob, poor worm,
Israel, puny mite.
I will help you – it is the Lord who speaks –
the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.
See, I turn you into a threshing-sled,
new, with doubled teeth;
you shall thresh and crush the mountains,
and turn the hills to chaff.
You shall winnow them and the wind will blow them away,
the gale will scatter them.
But you yourself will rejoice in the Lord,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The poor and needy ask for water, and there is none,
their tongue is parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, will answer them,
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
I will make rivers well up on barren heights,
and fountains in the midst of valleys;
turn the wilderness into a lake,
and dry ground into waterspring.
In the wilderness I will put cedar trees,
acacias, myrtles, olives.
In the desert I will plant juniper,
plane tree and cypress side by side;
so that men may see and know,
may all observe and understand
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Responsorial Psalm 144(145):1,9-13a
The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love.
I will give you glory, O God my king,
I will bless your name for ever.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God,
to make known to men your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendour of your reign.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age.
Gospel Matthew 11:11-15
A greater than John the Baptist has never been seen
Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm. Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!’
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True humility
In today’s gospel, Jesus referred to John the Baptist with the following words: “Among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.” However, Jesus goes on to say that “the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” John’s greatness does not lie in his achievements, public influence, or austere lifestyle; rather, it is rooted in his profound humility—his willingness to decrease so that Christ may increase.
John knew that his role was to prepare others, not to be the main focus. His humility is not self-negation but clarity of identity: he knows who he is, and who he is not. He is “the friend of the Bridegroom,” the voice that awakens hearts, the finger pointing towards the Lamb of God. During Advent, we are called to have this same humility, recognising that our true mission is not to draw attention to ourselves but to help others encounter Christ. Today, let us walk the path of humble love, which is not about seeking attention, but about being faithful; not about striving for importance, but about making space for the presence of God.
Reflective question:
How can I live today in such a way that Christ may be seen more clearly through my words and actions?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
