The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to accept the invitation of God to gather all people in love.
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah declares the Covenant is extended to all who obey.
* [56:1–8] This poem inaugurates the final section of the Book of Isaiah, often referred to as Third or Trito-Isaiah. While Second or Deutero-Isaiah (Is 40–55) gave numerous references to the hopes of the community of Israel during the Babylonian exile (ca. 587–538 B.C.), Third Isaiah witnesses to the struggles and hoped-for blessings of the postexilic community now back in the homeland of Israel. In this opening poem, the references to “keeping the sabbath” (vv. 2, 4, 6), “holding fast to the covenant” (vv. 4, 6) and “God’s holy mountain” as a house of prayer (v. 7), all tell of the postexilic community that was establishing itself again in the land according to the pattern of God’s word given through the prophet. The poem can be classified as a “prophetic exhortation” in which the prophet gives instruction for those who wish to live according to God’s word and covenant. What is important to note are the conditions placed upon the people of God; while Is 40–55 show an unconditional promise of redemption, these final chapters delineate clear expectations for receiving God’s salvific promises. Both the expectations and the great promises of God will unfold in the succeeding chapters of Third Isaiah. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 56, n.d.)
Psalm 67 proclaims the Nations are called to Praise God.
* [Psalm 67] A petition for a bountiful harvest (Ps 67:7), made in the awareness that Israel’s prosperity will persuade the nations to worship its God.
* [67:2] May God be gracious to us: the people’s petition echoes the blessing pronounced upon them by the priests, cf. Nm 6:22–27. (Psalms, PSALM 67, n.d.)
The Gospel of John identifies Witnesses to Jesus.
* [5:35] Lamp: cf. Ps 132:17—“I will place a lamp for my anointed (= David),” and possibly the description of Elijah in Sir 48:1. But only for a while, indicating the temporary and subordinate nature of John’s mission. (John, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
Eileen Wirth remembers the miracle of Pope John XXIII where we learned that our heretical neighbors were our “separated brethren” whom we should embrace. Much like today’s wonderful passage from Isaiah, we learned that God’s house was a “house of prayer for all peoples” where he gathered people of many types in addition to the “already gathered” which we assumed meant us.
What an improvement our new expanded “house of prayer” was! I covered the consecration of two Episcopal bishops in our beautiful St. Cecilia’s Cathedral because it was larger than Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Creighton’s Jesuits especially embraced such outreach. Our campus even has a Muslim prayer room.
Now Pope Francis is discussing a common date for Easter with Orthodox Christians. Wonderful! It’s an important gesture of outreach and unity.
Thank you, Pope John, for tearing down the foolish walls with which we “protected” ourselves from other people of faiths in God’s universal house of prayer. Surely God wants to gather us all in love, especially during this sacred season.
A blessed Christmas to all! (Wirth, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The prophets and apostles are lamps of God,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"All people are lamps because they can both be lighted and extinguished... Only [Christ] is not a lamp. For he is not lighted and extinguished, because "as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son to have life in himself." Therefore, the apostles, too, are lamps. And they give thanks because they both have been kindled by the light of truth and burn with the Spirit of love, and the oil of God's grace is available to them. If they were not lamps, the Lord would not say to them, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). For after he said, "You are the light of the world," he shows that they should not think they were such a light as that of which it is said, "It was the true light that enlightens everyone who comes into this world." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 23.3.1-2). (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8 comments that the whole season of Advent is a kind of Sabbath, a time “set apart” for the Lord. Unfortunately, the demands of holiday gift shopping and wrapping, cooking, and decorating can leave you anxious, overtired, or short-tempered. It can crowd out your “set-apart time” with the Lord and the joy he offers.
As you give the Lord such “sabbath” time, you will become more peaceful. Stress levels will fall. You might even find yourself becoming more encouraging and hopeful. It can be challenging, but know that God is at your side to bless you. He wants to give you the rest that only he can give.
“Father, thank you for the gift of your Son. Help me to honor you as I celebrate his birth.” (Meditation on Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler introduces the situation of the return of the exiles to the ravaged state of Jerusalem as addressed by the texts of Trito-Isaiah. Tension in theology is a consequence of there being not one answer to our questions like the concern of pagan influence and universal acceptance. Friar Jude reminds us to look at Jesus' exercise of the authority of God as His witness.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces theologian Karen Baker-Fletcher who speaks to paradox—the goodness of God and creation do not cause us to avoid suffering in our world and daily life, but to seek to love even more.
From a womanist perspective, the reign of God does not have to do with a far-off, abstract, otherworldly, alien, and alienated place. To the contrary, the promise of the fulfillment of the Spirit’s healing, creating presence on earth is woven together with apocalyptic hope in the midst of the daily work and struggles of life. The reign of the Spirit is an ever-present reality. The hereafter is in the here and now. We live into it in our everyday acts. God moves as the strength of life, present in history and creation. God as the strength of life is the power of life. Given such power, whom should we fear? That which is the very strength of life transforms fear into faith, salvation, and hope. It means that we do not have to accept injustice and abuse while we wait for some better, eternal life in a world beyond the present. We can live into a love that is eternal and does no harm in the here and now. [1] (Rohr, 2022)
We often live in tension between our comfort in relationships and the prompting of the Spirit to be witnesses to the Love of God for all people.
References
Isaiah, CHAPTER 56. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/56?1
John, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/5?33
Meditation on Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/16/555546/
Psalms, PSALM 67. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/67?2
Rohr, R. (2022, December 16). Love Does No Harm — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-does-no-harm-2022-12-16/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Will Make Them Joyful in My House of Prayer for All Peoples. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec16
Wirth, E. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/121622.html
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