Gospel of December 13 2018

Book of Isaiah 41,13-20.
I am the Lord your God who hold you by the right and I say to you: "Do not be afraid, I will come to your aid".
Fear not, little worm of Jacob, larva of Israel; I come to your aid - the oracle of the Lord - your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Behold, I make you like a sharp threshing, new, with many points; you will thresh the mountains and crush them, reduce the necks to chaff.
You will screen them and the wind will blow them away, the whirlwind will disperse them. Instead, you will rejoice in the Lord, you will boast of the Holy One of Israel.
The poor and poor look for water but there is none, their language is parched with thirst; I, the Lord, will listen to them; I, God of Israel, will not abandon them.
I will bring forth rivers on barren hills, fountains in the middle of the valleys; I will change the desert into a lake of water, the arid land into springs.
I will plant cedars in the desert, acacias, myrtle and olive trees; I will place cypresses, elms together with fir trees in the steppe;
so that they may see and know, consider and understand at once that this has done the hand of the Lord, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Salmi 145(144),1.9.10-11.12-13ab.
O God, my king, I want to exalt you
and bless your name forever and ever.
The Lord is good to all,
his tenderness expands on all creatures.

Lord, all your works praise you
and your faithful bless you.
Say the glory of your kingdom
and talk about your power.

Let your wonders be manifested to men
and the splendid glory of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is the kingdom of all ages,
your domain extends to every generation.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 11,11-15.
At that time Jesus said to the crowd: «Truly I say to you: among the born of woman there was not one greater than John the Baptist; however the smallest in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent seize it.
In fact, the Law and all the Prophets prophesied until John.
And if you want to accept it, he is that Elijah who is to come.
Let those who have ears understand. "