Daily Catholic Lectio. Fri, 12 December ’25. Teacher and Guide

Daily Catholic Lectio

Fri, 12 December ‘25

Second Week of Advent, Friday

Isaiah 48:17–19. Matthew 11:16–19

Teacher and Guide

Today’s readings place before us a simple but profound truth: God is our Teacher and our Guide. He teaches us the way of life and leads us along the path that brings peace, fruitfulness, and joy. But for teaching and guidance to bear fruit, one essential thing is required: listening hearts.

1. God Who Teaches and Leads (Isaiah 48:17–19)

Through the prophet Isaiah, God speaks with the tenderness of a parent: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good, who leads you in the way you should go.” These two divine actions reveal God’s heart: He teaches — offering wisdom, correction, and truth. He guides — not from afar, but step by step. Israel had already been given God’s commandments. They knew the covenant, and they knew the path. Yet they often chose their own way, trusting idols, alliances, and desires that led them away from the Lord. When they refused to listen, their lives unravelled: destruction, exile, loss of dignity.

But God also shows what would have been theirs if they had listened: Peace flowing like a river; Righteousness like waves of the sea; Blessings multiplied, like the sand. This is not punishment and reward; it is simply the consequence of walking with or without the Lord.

2. A Generation That Does Not Listen (Matthew 11:16–19)

In the Gospel, Jesus looks at his generation and sees the same closed heart. He uses the image of children in the marketplace who refuse every invitation: John came with fasting — they rejected him. Jesus came with joy — they criticised him. The problem is not with the teacher.

The problem is not with the guide. The problem is the refusal to listen. Jesus concludes: “Wisdom is proved right by her works.” Those who truly hear God show it in their actions. Their lives become the evidence that God’s teaching works.

3. Christ the True Wisdom

Both readings prepare us for a deeper revelation: Jesus is the Wisdom of God. He is not merely a messenger but the message; not only a guide but the way itself. To accept him is to walk in light; to refuse him is to remain sitting idle, like the children in the marketplace.

4. From the Word to Life

(a) Sit down to learn. Only the one who sits can be taught. Only the one who opens the hand can be led. Advent calls us to humility — the readiness to let God teach us again.

(b) Move beyond excuses. We often hide behind reasons, like children who change their game when it demands effort. Following Christ requires steps, not excuses. If we keep moving, even slowly, we grow like John, like Jesus. If we stop, we remain at the marketplace of mediocrity.

(c) Remove prejudice in relationships. Often relationships suffer because we carry fears, suspicions, and fixed ideas about others. Today’s Word invites us to lay these burdens down and meet others with openness and generosity.

Conclusion

God teaches. God guides. The question is simple: Will we listen? If we let Him teach us, our peace will be like a river. If we let Him guide us, our lives will bear fruit. If we walk with Him, we will grow not only in knowledge but also in wisdom — the wisdom shown in deeds, the wisdom that leads us to Christ, the Teacher and Guide of our lives.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy