December 13, 2014

Reading

The Book of Sirach   48: 1-4, 9-11

48:1	And the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch.
48:2	He brought a famine upon them, and those who provoked him in their envy became few. For they could not bear the precepts of the Lord.
48:3	By the word of the Lord, he closed the heavens, and he brought down fire from heaven three times.
48:4	In this way, Elijah was magnified in his wondrous works. So who can say that he is similar to you in glory?
48:9	He was received into a whirlwind of fire, into a swift chariot with fiery horses.
48:10	He is written in the judgments of the times, so as to lessen the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
48:11	Blessed are those who saw you, and who were adorned with your friendship.

Gospel

The Holy Gospel According to Matthew    17: 9-13

17:9	And as they were descending from the mountain, Jesus instructed them, saying, “Tell no one about the vision, until the Son of man has risen from the dead.”
17:10	And his disciples questioned him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that it is necessary for Elijah to arrive first?”
17:11	But in response, he said to them: “Elijah, indeed, shall arrive and restore all things.
17:12	But I say to you, that Elijah has already arrived, and they did not recognize him, but they did whatever they wanted to him. So also shall the Son of man suffer from them.”
17:13	Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.