Daily Catholic Lectio
Thu, 11 December ‘25
Second Week of Advent, Thursday
Isaiah 41:13-20. Psalm 145. Matthew 11:11-15
The Least and the Great
The Word of God today gently redefines what we mean by least and great. In the eyes of the world, greatness is measured by numbers, strength, visibility, and success. Smallness is weakness, insignificance, even failure. But before God, the measure is different. Today’s liturgy teaches us that it is God who decides who is great and who is small, and that at any moment God can make the small great and the great small. True greatness is preserved only by God’s abiding presence.
1. When God Calls the Small by Name (Isaiah 41:13–20)
In the first reading, the Lord addresses Israel with startling words: “Fear not, you worm Jacob, you little insect Israel.” These words are not meant to humiliate but to describe reality as Israel experienced it. In the ancient Near East, great empires—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon—dominated history. Compared to them, Israel was a tiny nation, politically weak and militarily vulnerable. After the Babylonian exile, the people felt crushed, insignificant, almost invisible—like worms and insects in a violent world.
Yet it is precisely this smallness that draws God close. “Do not fear. I myself will help you.” Through the prophet Isaiah, God promises an astonishing reversal. The people who felt powerless will be transformed into a sharp threshing instrument. Mountains and hills—symbols of oppressive powers—will be ground to dust. The weak will become strong; the humiliated will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel; the poor and thirsty will find water in the desert.
Three transformations take place: The powerless become powerful through God’s presence. The humiliated recover dignity and joy in God. The needy experience abundance and life. Greatness, then, is not self-made. It is grace received.
2. John the Great—and Those Greater Still (Matthew 11:11–15)
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks with deep reverence about John the Baptist: “Among those born of women, no one is greater than John.” John was recognised by the people as a prophet, a reformer, the forerunner of the Messiah. He never claimed greatness for himself. He openly confessed that he was not the Messiah. His faithfulness to God’s mission led him to martyrdom under Herod. His greatness lay in one thing: he completed the task God entrusted to him.
Yet Jesus then says something unexpected: “The least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” How is this possible? Jesus is not belittling John. Rather, he is pointing to a new order. The disciples of Jesus were few in number, socially weak, and religiously insignificant compared to other Jewish groups. Yet their faith in Christ made them members of the Kingdom. Belonging to the Kingdom, not public recognition, defines true greatness. John preserved his greatness by humility and obedience. The disciples are invited to preserve theirs through faith and perseverance.
3. Greatness Revealed in the Weak Messiah
Advent reminds us that God himself chose the path of smallness. The Messiah comes not with armies but as a helpless child. Because God has embraced weakness, he stands beside all who are weak. The God who knows fragility from within becomes the strength of the fragile.
Conclusion: What Does Today’s Word Ask of Us?
Our greatness or smallness, strength or weakness, dignity or humiliation depends not on our status, but on our closeness to God. The God who can turn worms into iron tools asks only one thing: that we entrust ourselves to him. Those who surrender to God do not lose their worth. They discover it.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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