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Read and listen to the Word of December 7, 2021

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Tuesday of the 2nd week of Advent

Book of Isaiah 40.1-11.

“Comfort, console my people, says your God.
Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and shout to her that her slavery is over, her iniquity has been paid for, because she has received a double punishment from the hand of the Lord for all her sins."
A voice shouts: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord, clear the path for our God in the steppe.
Let every valley be filled, every mountain and hill be made low; the rough terrain becomes flat and the steep terrain becomes plain.

Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed and every man will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
A voice says: “Shout” and I reply: “What should I shout?”. Every man is like grass, and all his glory is like a flower of the field.

The grass dries up, the flower withers when the breath of the Lord breathes on them.
The grass withers, the flower withers, but the word of our God always endures. Truly the people are like grass.

Climb up a high mountain, you who bring good news to Zion; Raise your voice loudly, you who bring good news to Jerusalem. Raise your voice, don't be afraid; announces to the cities of Judah: “Behold your God!
Behold, the Lord God comes with power, with his arm he holds dominion. Behold, he has with him the prize, and his trophies precede him.
Like a shepherd he grazes the flock and gathers them with his arm; he carries the little lambs on his breast and slowly leads the mother sheep”.

Psalms 96(95),1-2.3.10ac.11-12.13.

Behold, our God comes with power.

Sing to the Lord a new song,
sing to the Lord from all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name,
proclaim his salvation day by day.

Among the people tell of his glory,
tell all the nations his wonders.
Say among the people: “The Lord reigns!”,
judge the nations righteously.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth rejoice,
the sea and all that it contains trembles;
let the fields and all they contain rejoice,
let the trees of the forest rejoice.

Let them rejoice before the Lord who comes,
because he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice
and truly all the people.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 18,12-14.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 18,12-14

Gospel of Matthew 18,12-14

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
«What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and look for the one that is lost?
Truly I say to you, if he finds it, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that were not lost.
Thus it is the will of your Father who is in heaven, that not one of these little ones should be lost."

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER

Siamo tutti avvisati: la misericordia verso i peccatori è lo stile con cui agisce Dio e a tale misericordia Egli è assolutamente fedele: nulla e nessuno potrà distoglierlo dalla sua volontà di salvezza.

God does not know our current throwaway culture, this has nothing to do with God. God does not discard any person; God loves everyone, he seeks everyone: one by one! He doesn't know this word "discarding people", because it is all love and all mercy.

The Lord's flock is always on the move: it does not possess the Lord, it cannot delude itself into imprisoning Him in our schemes and our strategies. The shepherd will be found where the lost sheep is. (General Audience, 4 May 2016)