The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate signs of the action of God in our world.
Signs of restoration and healing
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah promises that In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall see triumph and glory.
* [45:6] The nations will come to know that Israel’s God is the only God; cf. also vv. 20–25.1
Psalm 85 is a prayer for the restoration of God’s Favour.
* [Psalm 85] A national lament reminding God of past favors and forgiveness (Ps 85:2–4) and begging for forgiveness and grace now (Ps 85:5–8). A speaker represents the people who wait humbly with open hearts (Ps 85:9–10): God will be active on their behalf (Ps 85:11–13). The situation suggests the conditions of Judea during the early postexilic period, the fifth century B.C.; the thoughts are similar to those of postexilic prophets (Hg 1:5–11; 2:6–9).2
In the Gospel of Luke, messengers from John the Baptist learn of Jesus' works.
* [7:18–23] In answer to John’s question, Are you the one who is to come?—a probable reference to the return of the fiery prophet of reform, Elijah, “before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day” (Mal 3:23)—Jesus responds that his role is rather to bring the blessings spoken of in Is 61:1 to the oppressed and neglected of society (Lk 7:22; cf. Lk 4:18).3
Andy Alexander, S.J. comments that we really can miss Advent, if we prevent ourselves from experiencing a deep longing in our heart which leads us to cry out for Jesus to come into our hearts and make them whole, to give them his life and his zeal for his desires for the whole world.
Jesus is saying there is a blessedness in not letting all the bad stuff scandalize us and turn us away from him. He is not the cause of evil in the world. Our selfishness, our greed, our lust for power is what leads to injustice and corruption and a world that no god could say, "I'm so happy this is the way things turned out." But, Jesus has come for healing, for mercy. His coming in history won the victory over sin and death. His coming to us on our Advent journey offers us freedom from what keeps us from him and from one another. The more we realize what we need, the more we desire it. The more we sense we need a Savior, the more we beg, "Come," with open hearts. The more we taste our poverty, the more we will hear the Good New proclaimed to us. He is the one; there is no other.4
Don Schwager quotes “Miracles testify that Jesus is the Messiah,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"'In that same hour he healed many of sicknesses and of scourges, and of evil spirits; and gave sight to many that were blind.' He made them spectators and eyewitnesses of his greatness and gathered into them a great admiration of his power and ability. They then bring forward the question and beg in John's name to be informed whether he is 'he who comes.' Here see, I ask, the beautiful art of the Savior's management. He does not simply say, 'I am.' If he had spoken this, it would have been true. He leads them to the proof given by the works themselves. In order that having accepted faith in him on good grounds and being furnished with knowledge from what had been done, they may return to him who sent them. 'Go' he says, 'tell John the things that you have seen and heard.' 'For you have heard indeed,' he says, 'that I have raised the dead by the all-powerful word and by the touch of the hand. While you stood by, you have also seen that those things that were spoken of old time by the holy prophets are accomplished: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the dumb hear, the dead rise, and the poor are preached to. The blessed prophets had announced all these things before, as about in due time to be accomplish by my hands. I bring to pass those things that were prophesied long before, and you are yourselves spectators of them. Return and tell those things that you have seen with your own eyes accomplished by my might and ability, and which at various times the blessed prophets foretold.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 37)5
The Irish Jesuits share some thoughts on today's scripture.
John has been tossed into prison. As he languishes there the oil of John’s lamp is flickering. He wonders did he get it right? Was his ministry a waste? Is Jesus the one he believed him to be? Lord, I can identify with John. I too find the wick of my lamp can quiver, splutter when things don’t go my way. My desire for a world of peace and justice is met by a world of violence and injustice. This Advent day refill my inner lamp and let me walk in faith and trust.6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 7:18-23 comments there were people who did accept Jesus as the Messiah. Concerning them, Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who takes no offense at me” (Luke 7:23). So how were some able to receive Jesus without being offended by the manner in which he came? They had to surrender their original expectations for the Messiah. Then they were free to receive the faith that allowed them to see Jesus for who he really is.
We too sometimes have to surrender our expectations in order to find the faith to see Jesus working in our lives. It’s the process we engage in when, for example, an adult child has to move back home. We expected that he would be able to live on his own. But when we leave our expectations at the door, we might just be able to recognize Jesus at work drawing us closer to this child. Or maybe we didn’t expect to lose our job but saw God providing for our needs through various offers of help we received.7
Friar Jude Winkler shares the intimacy of God expressed by the first person singular in Deutero-Isaiah. The Israelites show a transition from polytheism to monotheism. Friar Jude suggests that John the Baptist desired to have his disciples know Jesus.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the great task of religion is to keep us fully awake, alert, and conscious. Staying awake comes not from willpower but from a wholehearted surrender to the moment—as it is.
If our prayer goes deep, “invading” our unconscious, as it were, our whole view of the world will change from fear to connection, because we no longer live inside our fragile and encapsulated self. Nor do we feel a need to protect our small and fragile self. In meditation, we move from ego consciousness to soul awareness, from being fear-driven to being love-drawn. That’s it in a few words! Of course, we can only do this if Someone Else is holding us, taking away our fear, doing the knowing, and satisfying our desire for a Great Lover. If we can allow that Someone Else to have their way with us, we will live with new vitality, a natural gracefulness, and inside of a Flow that we did not create. It is the Life of the Trinity, spinning through us.8
Our journey to restoration and healing consists of living each moment with awareness of Divine Presence in every event of today.
References
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