More than we expect

Who am I? This question may be found hidden in the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today. The suffering servant of the Book of the prophet Isaiah understands his role as one who is on a mission to his people who have forgotten their Covenant with the Lord to be His people as He is their God. The servant labours to attempt to fulfill his work with his people. Out of the sense of failure in this task God calls him to witness as faithful servant to all people. In the struggle and the complete reliance on his relationship with the Divine is the very message that he is to live for all tribes. How often we seek to be sure that we are meeting the minimum. What do I need to be saved? In the education context, “What do I need to pass?” The relationship with Transcendent God is not limited. It does not reach “enough”. The psalmist praises that wonderful relationship which both begs deliverance and celebrates the intensity of living continuously in the hope and trust born of witness to the marvellous daily deeds of the Lord. John’s Gospel relates the dialogue of Jesus with His disciples to attempt to convey the imminent call of the Father to be recipient of necessary betrayal and to advise His closest companions that the trust and hope from His intimacy with the Father will bring them back together, later, when they are invited to follow Him in witness to intimacy with the Divine through the indwelling Spirit as their mission becomes to Baptize all nations.