The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to meditate on the tension between the Kingdom of Peace sought by prophets and people and the need for our action in response to the Gospel message.
Peace and Justice
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah describes the Peaceful Kingdom.
* [11:6–9] This picture of the idyllic harmony of paradise is a dramatic symbol of universal peace and justice under the rule of the new Davidic king. The peace and harmony even among carnivores and their natural prey in this description suggest a paradisiac aspect of the reign of the new king.1
Psalm 72 is a prayer for guidance and support for the King.
* [Psalm 72] A royal Psalm in which the Israelite king, as the representative of God, is the instrument of divine justice (Ps 72:1–4, 12–14) and blessing (Ps 72:5–7, 15–17) for the whole world. The king is human, giving only what he has received from God. Hence intercession must be made for him. The extravagant language is typical of oriental royal courts.2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus rejoices in the revelation to the childlike, one of the privileges of discipleship.
* [10:21] Revealed them to the childlike: a restatement of the theme announced in Lk 8:10: the mysteries of the kingdom are revealed to the disciples. See also note on Mt 11:25–27.3
Nancy Shirley shares that it seems that Advent is here just in time. It reminds her of a fresh beginning – an opportunity to welcome the new and out with the old.
The season of Advent is just what this world (and me) needs right now to raise our spirits and direct us to the truly important aspects of life and preparation for our eternal life. Advent reminds us to open our hearts as we anticipate and prepare for our greatest Gift. It is our Faith and hope of what is to come that will support us and allow us to see beyond our troubles and this chaos called life. Most importantly, Advent reveals what Jesus says to the disciples: “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”4
Don Schwager quotes “The Seven Gifts of the Spirit,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"So, then, the Holy Spirit is the river, and the abundant river, which according to the Hebrews flowed from Jesus in the lands, as we have received it prophesied by the mouth of Isaiah (Isaiah 66:12). This is the great river that flows always and never fails. And not only a river, but also one of copious stream and overflowing greatness, as also David said: 'The stream of the river makes glad the city of God' (Psalm 46:4). For neither is that city, the heavenly Jerusalem, watered by the channel of any earthly river, but that Holy Spirit, proceeding from the fount of life, by a short draught of whom we are satiated, seems to flow more abundantly among those celestial thrones, dominions and powers, angels and archangels, rushing in the full course of the seven virtues of the Spirit. For if a river rising above its banks overflows, how much more does the Spirit, rising above every creature, when he touches the low-lying fields of our minds, as it were, make glad that heavenly nature of the creatures with the larger fertility of his sanctification. And let it not trouble you that either here it is said 'rivers' (John 7:38) or elsewhere 'seven Spirits,' (Revelation 5:6) for by the sanctification of these seven gifts of the Spirit, as Isaiah said, is signified the fullness of all virtue; the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness, and the Spirit of the fear of God. One, then is the river, but many the channels of the gifts of the Spirit. This river, then, goes forth from the fount of life." (excerpt from ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 1.16)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 11:1–10 comments that Jesus’ ministry produced a different sort of “bloom” than what many were expecting. He had come to rescue people from sin, not Roman imperialism. And his great victory was won on the cross, not at the head of a liberating army. Still, for those who believed in him, the desert came alive with all the vibrant colors of grace, mercy, and joy.
But God wants you to know that wherever you are, he is with you. He has not forgotten you. He’s walking with you through this desert. He will always love you, and he’ll always, always be faithful. As you wait for your prayers to be answered, consider the ways in which God’s grace may already be blossoming around you. The stark beauty of this desert may nudge you to pray and open you to receive the “rain” of God’s grace. By stripping away your comforts, this experience can even expose the unshakable faith that sits deep within your heart. “Lord, help me see your grace in the desert.”6
Friar Jude Winkler shares the disappointment of Isaiah that the line of David had produced kings, each one worse than his predecessor. Jesus praises the connection of the childlike to the secrets of heaven. Friar Jude reminds us to find Jesus Presence in the people we encounter daily.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that the Gospel was at the center of Peter Maurin’s (The Catholic Worker movement, established by Dorothy Day (1897‒1980) and Peter Maurin (1877‒1949),) vision and an essential part of what has made the movement so long-lasting. Theologian Marvin Mich (1948‒2018) shows how Maurin’s radical commitment flowed from his reading of the New Testament, and his own Catholic faith.
Maurin brought with him a “gentle personalism,” which was a Catholic radicalism based on the literal interpretation of the Beatitudes. He rejected the liberal institutions of capitalism and the modern state and their faith in material progress and technology. . . . He proposed [instead] a radical imitation of the gospel life of voluntary poverty in solidarity with the weak, the poor, the sick, and the alienated. The Catholic Worker movement’s consistent intellectual position was based on a radical interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount and on papal social encyclicals. . . The Worker encouraged communal living, ecumenism, and the concept of laypeople as missionaries. The movement is best known for its “direct action” on behalf of the poor. They started Houses of Hospitality, imitating the medieval hospice. These were soup kitchens, meeting rooms, clothing centers, and places of reflection. [3]7
The gifts of the Spirit and our humble disposition open our hearts to respond with action to create a society of peace guided by the Beatitudes.
References
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