The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to celebrate the hope we received from the Spirit that transformation of our motivation and action is in the plan of God.
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah is a vision of Hope for the Future.
* [29:17–24] The prophet presents the positive aspects of God’s plan in terms of a series of reversals: an end to pride, ignorance, and injustice. Cf. 32:3–5. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 29, n.d.)
Psalm 27 is a triumphant Song of Confidence.
* [Psalm 27] Tradition has handed down the two sections of the Psalm (Ps 27:1–6; 7–14) as one Psalm, though each part could be understood as complete in itself. Asserting boundless hope that God will bring rescue (Ps 27:1–3), the psalmist longs for the presence of God in the Temple, protection from all enemies (Ps 27:4–6). In part B there is a clear shift in tone (Ps 27:7–12); the climax of the poem comes with “I believe” (Ps 27:13), echoing “I trust” (Ps 27:3). (Psalms, PSALM 27, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus heals Two Blind Men.
* [9:27–31] This story was probably composed by Matthew out of Mark’s story of the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46–52). Mark places the event late in Jesus’ ministry, just before his entrance into Jerusalem, and Matthew has followed his Marcan source at that point in his gospel also (see Mt 20:29–34). In each of the Matthean stories the single blind man of Mark becomes two. The reason why Matthew would have given a double version of the Marcan story and placed the earlier one here may be that he wished to add a story of Jesus’ curing the blind at this point in order to prepare for Jesus’ answer to the emissaries of the Baptist (Mt 11:4–6) in which Jesus, recounting his works, begins with his giving sight to the blind. (Matthew, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)
Gladyce Janky asks us to imagine we are gathered with others listening to the Prophet tell us God’s promise of a better future (Is 29:17-24).
What injustices do you hear Isaiah prophesying will end, and does today’s Gospel offer you a vision of Hope?
May our Advent be a time to reflect, remember, and imagine how Christ’s coming will transform the world. And may each of us confidently declare, “Yes, Lord, I believe you can do this.”
Wait for the Lord with courage, be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. PS 27:14 (Janky, 2022)
Don Schwager quotes “They saw because they believed in the Messiah,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).
"At that point, two blind men follow the Lord as he was passing by. But if they could not see, how could the blind men know of the Lord's departure as well as his name? Moreover, they called him 'Son of David' and asked to be made well. In the two blind men, the entire earlier prefiguration [miracles in Matthew 9:18-26] is complete. The ruler's daughter seems to be from these people, namely, the Pharisees and John's disciples, who already made common cause in testing the Lord. To these unknowing persons the law gave evidence as to the one from whom they sought a cure. It indicated to them that their Savior in the flesh was of the line of David. It also introduced light to the minds of those who were blind from past sins. They could not see Christ but were told about him. The Lord showed them that faith should not be expected as a result of health but health should be expected because of faith. The blind men saw because they believed; they did not believe because they saw. From this we understand that what is requested must be predicated on faith and that faith must not be exercised because of what has been obtained. If they should believe, he offers them sight. And he charges the believers to be silent, for it was exclusively the task of the apostles to preach." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 9.9) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 29:17-24 comments that the Scriptures, as old as they are, were written so that even our hearts could be open to the truth about God’s desire to save his people. Jesus didn’t come to earth so that the world would stay the same. He came to open the ears of the deaf, to restore sight to the blind, and to comfort the lowly in every generation (Isaiah 29:18-19). In other words, he came to heal and save each one of us.
Jesus wants to open your spiritual ears and eyes a little more each day so that you’ll come to know him better. So pray that the Advent readings will fill you with wonder and gratitude for the miracle of Jesus coming among us. As the ears of the deaf were opened to “hear the words of a book” (Isaiah 29:18) pray that the Holy Spirit will open your ears to hear what he is saying to you as you read his word each day.
“Holy Spirit, awaken me this Advent to know and love Jesus more than ever before!” (Meditation on Isaiah 29:17-24, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the prophecy of Isaiah about God blessing His people healing blindness, restoring justice, and returning to Creation. The Spirit of Understanding, Insight, and Conversion makes us more of what we are. Friar Jude reminds us that through acts of faith God makes things right in our lives.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that one of the things that the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) taught us in the religious orders, and this was certainly from the Holy Spirit, is that we were each to go back to our founders and say, “What did Catherine McAuley found the Sisters of Mercy for? What did Francis form the Franciscans for? What did Ignatius do with the Jesuits?”. . .
So as much as we experienced a renewal in scripture [in Vatican II, asking] “What did Jesus really teach?,” we were simultaneously doing the same thing—in our case with Francis of Assisi. We’re an alternative orthodoxy. We’re quite eager to remain in the Catholic or universal church, but some of the things it does are not very universal, not very Catholic at all! And that has shaken us to our foundations. So it did for me, too. We were founded by a prophet, Francis, who wasn’t the usual pious saint, but he didn’t accuse the system of being inferior. He just went out and did it better. That’s still one of our CAC principles: “The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.”
I was in Rome a couple of months ago, as some of you know, to visit the Holy Father [Pope Francis]. We took a little side trip to the church of Saint John Lateran; that’s where the pope lived in the thirteenth century. St. Peter’s wasn’t built yet. Out in the courtyard, there’s this marvelous, rather large set of statues, and it’s Francis in the thirteenth century approaching this top-heavy Roman church. He’s smiling, and his hand is raised in blessing, but it’s also raised in confrontation. That’s the history we’ve all been dealing with. How do we return to our sources, and discover that almost all our sources were critical of [their current] Roman Catholicism? . . . (Rohr, 2022)
Our Baptismal anointing as prophet is the basis of the prompting of the Spirit to see the need for change to heal the communities in which we live.
References
Isaiah, CHAPTER 29. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/29?17
Janky, G. (2022, December 2). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120222.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9?27
Meditation on Isaiah 29:17-24. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/02/547178/
Psalms, PSALM 27. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/27?1
Rohr, R. (2022, December 2). Returning to Our Roots — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/returning-to-our-roots-2022-12-02/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec2
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