[⚠️ Suspicious Content] First Reading: Isaiah 8:1–8
1Now the Inscrutable God said to me:
“Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it with a common tool, ‘For Maher Shalal Hash Baz (meaning: Swiftly Savaged, Rapidly Ravaged).’ 2Then I will swear in for myself faithful witnesses—the priest Uriah and Zechariah ben Jeberechiah.” 3So I went to the prophetess and she conceived and she gave birth to a child. Then the Fount of Wisdom said to me:
“Name the child Maher Shalal Hash Baz. 4For before the child knows how to call ‘My mother’ or ‘My father,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried off by the ruler of Assyria.”
5Then again the Creator of All spoke to me, yet further:
6“For because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently and swoon at Rezin [ruler of the Arameans] and on account of [Israel’s king, Pekah] the son of Remaliah—7therefore, the Holy One is bringing up over them the many mighty waters of the [Euphrates] River, the ruler of Assyria and all his glory. And it shall rise above all its channels and overflow all its banks. 8And passing through Judah flooding and pouring over, it shall flow up to the neck and its wingspan shall fill the width of your land, O Immanuel.”
Psalm: Psalm 34:11–22
11Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the reverence of She Who is Majesty.
12Who is the woman or man that desires life,
and would love long days to enjoy good?
13Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14Turn from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.
15The eyes of the All-Seeing God are upon the righteous,
and her ears are open to their cry.
16The face of the Righteous One is against those who do evil,
to cut off from the earth their memory.
17The righteous cry out and the Compassionate One hears,
and from all their troubles delivers them.
18The Loving God is near to the brokenhearted,
and those who are crushed in spirit she saves.
19The evils [that plague] the righteous are many,
but the Saving God delivers them from them all.
20She preserves all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
21Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be found guilty.
22The Merciful One redeems the life of her servants;
and none will be found guilty of all who take refuge in her.
Second Reading: 1 John 3:1–3
1See what kind of love has our Maker given to us, that we should be called children of God; and we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know God. 2Beloved, now are we God’s children and it has not yet been revealed what we will be. We do know that when God is revealed, we shall be like God, for we shall see God just as God is. 3And everyone who has this hope in God purifies themselves, just as God is pure.
Gospel: Luke 9:38–48
38Now suddenly a person from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to examine my child; this is my only child. 39And see here, a spirit seizes the child and immediately, there is shrieking and it shakes the child with foaming [at the mouth], and it will scarcely leave the child, torturing the child. 40Now I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able.” 41Then Jesus responded saying, “You faithless and twisted generation, how much longer must I be with you and put up with you all? Bring your child here.” 42While the child was coming, the demon threw the child to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and returned the child to the parent. 43And all were amazed at the greatness of God. While everyone marveled at everything Jesus was doing, Jesus said to his disciples:
44“Let sink into your ears these words: Indeed, the Son of Woman is going to be betrayed into woman-born hands.” 45But they did not understand this word and its mean- ing was concealed from them so that they could not perceive it; and they feared to ask him about this word.
46Now there arose a debate among them, which one of them was the greatest. 47But Jesus knowing the debate in their hearts, took a little child and put the child next to him. 48And Jesus said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among of you all is the greatest.”
Share this post