💖 HOMILY - DECEMBER 7 💖

First Reading - Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26 

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

Life often presents us with challenges that leave us searching for direction and hope. Amid these struggles, today’s readings remind us of God’s unwavering compassion and His desire to guide us, heal us, and empower us to share His blessings with others.  

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks to a people who have faced suffering and uncertainty. He assures them of God’s promise to be gracious and to answer their cries. Isaiah paints a beautiful image of restoration: God will bless the land with abundant harvests, provide healing for wounds, and guide His people with His voice saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” This is a message of hope, reminding us that God is never distant from His people. Even in our most challenging times, He hears our cries and walks with us, ready to guide us if we are attentive to His voice.  

In the Gospel, we see Jesus embodying this same compassion. He looks at the crowds and is moved with pity because they are like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, doesn’t just sympathize; He acts. He heals the sick, proclaims the Kingdom of God, and commissions His disciples to continue His mission. Jesus empowers them to heal, to cast out evil, and to bring the message of hope to the lost sheep of Israel.  

These two readings together reveal the heart of God—a God who is deeply compassionate, who meets us in our brokenness, and who calls us to be instruments of His love and mercy in the world.  

Dear friends, as followers of Christ, we too are called to carry forward this mission of healing and restoration. We are invited to listen for God’s voice guiding us and to act as His hands and feet in the world. Just as Jesus empowered His disciples, He empowers us through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the grace of the Sacraments.  

But before we can share God’s love with others, we must first allow ourselves to experience it. Isaiah’s assurance of God’s guidance and Jesus’ actions in the Gospel remind us that God is always present, ready to heal and strengthen us. Are we open to hearing His voice? Are we ready to respond to His call?  

Let us, like the disciples, go forth with faith and courage, bringing God’s healing and hope to a world that is often lost and in need of direction. May we listen for His voice saying, “This is the way; walk in it,” and follow it with trust, becoming witnesses of His compassion and instruments of His peace.  

Let us embrace our mission with joy and confidence, knowing that we walk with the God who heals, restores, and guides us always. Amen.