it is the last hour

The Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church comes to the end of the calendar year with texts from John which bring the old year to an end with a letter that warns of the anti-Christ forces who are attempting to destroy the relationship between humanity and the Divine. The intimate communion with Jesus is this relationship. The text from the Gospel of John welcomes the new year with the Incarnation description. This Gospel relates the event of the “Word becomes flesh” in language that reaches to put in words that which is beyond human expression. John presents Jesus, foretold by John, eternally in the world since Creation and being born in flesh and living among us. The psalmist exhorts us to sing a new song in praise of the Lord who brings righteousness and truth to the world.

The Return to Nazareth and Normal Life

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him (Luke 2:40)

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer some tension on the role of life in the world for the believer. The advice in the first letter of John not to love the world or the things of the world is wisdom which appreciates that the passions and desires which cause believers to put self satisfaction, wealth and privilege ahead of the relationship with the Divine are addictions to the attractions of the world and worldly living. The psalmist reminds us to ascribe to the Lord the glory that is due God. The traditional first commandment and the reason for our being in the Baltimore Catechism place God as the object of all our knowledge, love and service. The Gospel of Luke tells of the prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, who confirms her revelation that the child, Jesus was the one to save Jerusalem. Luke concludes today with “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him”. This passage invites a second look at living in the world. It is the path chosen for the Child by the Father to bring the Word to Flesh amid the temptations cited by John and to set the Child on a development path with human parents in a human community for the purpose and growth and increase in strength. The area of process theology looks at the development of Jesus into a mature human as an important model of spiritual development for all believers.

Authenticity of our belief

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today suggest exploring the authenticity of our belief. The letter of John points to the idea of walking in the shoes of Jesus if we profess our belief in Him. We are drawn to the need to remove hatred from our lives as we begin to follow the example of love from Jesus. The psalmist praises God who comes in judgement. This aspect of the Divine seems in tension or conflict with the overwhelming compassion, forgiveness and intimate love we understand in Jesus. It is not a conflicting characteristic. The wisdom of the indwelling Spirit equips us with judgement in situations to choose life and love. Our sense of justice needs is routed in our being and is part of our relationship with the Divine. How that justice tension is resolved is the source of many questions.

If anyone in the Middle East has earned the right to hate, it is a Palestinian father, physician and, now, first-time author by the name of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish. (an Israeli attack killed his three daughters and niece)


But here’s the paradox: Abuelaish refuses to hate.


Instead, he remains deeply committed to Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation, and now he has written a vivid, haunting and all but heartbreaking account of that commitment, a position he refuses to abandon even in the face of Job-like provocation — the violent deaths of three daughters and a niece.


I Shall Not Hate is set for publication in Canada.

The Gospel of Luke presents the revelation to the faithful Simeon that the Messiah, who he had been inspired to expect through his authentic relationship with the Divine, had been presented in the Temple. The transcendence that accompanies the life of those of authentic faith is often brought to mind by people of faith in our circle of friends who expect and experience daily revelation of the Will of the Father through their relationship with God. The Good Challenge is presented in time for New Year’s resolutions!

Massacre and Guidance

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today bring the darkness of massacre of innocents to mind. The Gospel of Matthew is an account of the flight of Jesus, Mary and Joseph to Egypt to escape a persecution in which Herod traditionally executed male infants, up to the age of 2, in Bethlehem. Historic accounts of this event remain unreliable. It is known that such an atrocity would not be out of character for Herod and certainly much genocide in our world needs to be recalled and brought to our prayer. Joseph continues his example as leader of a family guided by an intimate relationship with the Divine. The letter of John presents two truths which thankfully stand together. We sin. We are capable of great evil against our fellow humans. We have forgiveness and the opportunity to start over through our relationship with God. This time of year we may be blessed by reconnection with old friends. The past days are often seen with rose coloured glasses. Like the psalmist, we may be blessed with an opportunity to recall past events through which we survived “by the grace of God”. As the psalmist puts it “We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped”. Why? There may be a Divine Plan for us that required we “come out of Egypt” too.

The Word of Life

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are for the feast of St. John the Evangelist, the author of the fourth book of the Gospel. The text from the first letter of John reveals his desire to share the story of Jesus with us so that we might share the joy that he knows in relationship with Jesus. The intimate pictures in the Gospel which include John, described as the one whom Jesus loved, are capped as John lying on Jesus breast at the Last Supper. The presentation of the intimate relationship with the Divine is beautifully mystical in John’s Gospel. The psalmist tells of the knowledge of the grandeur of God from observation of the heavens which surround us. Certainly this observation of the majesty of the universe was more easily observed in the dark skies of the Jesus time and place then from the light pollution which obscures the celestial canopy. The passage from the Gospel of John relates how Peter and John find the empty tomb and are convinced of the Resurrection on that first Easter morning. The liturgy through John reminds us that the Word was made flesh in the Incarnation and the Lord transcended death in the Resurrection, thus contacting two fundamental touchstones of Christianity.

Holy Family attends to spiritual guide

The wonder of Christmas has many aspects. The Gospel tells us that Jesus was born while the “family” descended from David has gathered in Bethlehem, the city of David, in response to a Roman census. Families gather at this time of year and often travel thousands of kilometres through challenging events to reunite. The gathering and the suspension of the usual routine for hours or days for the family is a wonderful and very observable characteristic of Christmas. The Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church chooses texts today which offer a guide to the family life which over time produces much fruit. The Book of Sirach, which offers wisdom to the reader for self guidance in many aspects of life, advises family members to attend to the father and the mother of the family. This attention and respect will of course assist in the growth and well being of your own children. The children learn from the parent how to treat their parents. During the Christmas gathering bringing the grandchildren to see Mom and Dad is such a powerful time to set and model the love and respect which are so essential in growing together as families. The letter of Paul to the Colossians advises that we “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience”. These attitudes and practices will go a long way to making the family gathering all that it can be. The psalmist reveals that the fruit of an attempt to live as family where there is attention to Divine guidance is the family gathered around your table. This is probably the most visible opportunity to reflect on the blessing of family and to be thankful for each and every member of the family. The Gospel of Matthew continues the story of the early life of the Holy Family. The author emphasizes the role of Joseph as the one who attended to the guidance of God as he made decisions about where and how the family would live. Some reflection on the role of Joseph presented in Christian text and tradition, opens a powerful model for those today who have the vocation of leading a family.

Prophecy of Zechariah

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today take us to the Book of Samuel where David declares to the prophet Nathan that he intends to build a house for the Lord. The apparent arrogance of this assertion stands out and offers the opportunity for Nathan to report that the Lord declares His intention to make the “house” or lineage of David great. From his line the “saviour” for the people of God will be descended. The psalmist echoes the understanding that the descendants of David have been chosen to be the “throne” of Israel for all generations. Zechariah understands that the miraculous birth of his son John is part of a greater event which will give light and peace to many.

The need for a Divine intervention

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary open today with words from the prophet Malachi who when surveying the state of the relationship of the Hebrew people with God finds that corruption of the priests, the neglect of God's Temple, and the personal sins of the people have returned the society to a state similar to that before the Babylonian exile. The prophet foresees the need for a new messenger to return the hearts and minds of the people to the Lord in anticipation of the “day of the Lord” when the great gap between the practice of the people and the righteousness of the Divine will act as purifying agent among God’s people. The psalmist praised the steadfast love and faithfulness of God for those who keep his Covenant. Luke’s Gospel reveals more of the special circumstances surrounding the birth of John the Baptist who will fulfill the role of the “messenger” calling the people to prepare for the Lord by returning to the relationship they know in their hearts as the way of righteousness. The Incarnation of the Divine as a baby, in humble human existence is the first of the indications that the aspects of humility, forgiveness and compassion are the characteristics of the New Covenant which were not anticipated as the appearance of the longed for Messiah. The Presence of the Divine in the world today of corruption of the priests, the neglect of God's Temple, and the personal sins of the people is witness to the steadfast love and faithfulness to the relationship of the Divine in continuous offering of forgiveness and compassion to the worn and weary through the indwelling Spirit.

A Never Ending Story

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today reinforce the continuity of the history of salvation from the earliest understanding of the Presence of God in the lives of humanity to the intimacy offered today with the Divine through the indwelling Spirit. The texts celebrate miraculous birth as a sign of great moments in the history which have shaped trust, faith, hope and action. The situation of Hannah is steeped in an intimate prayerful relationship with the Lord (HaShem). She is supported by a righteous husband, Elkanah, who attends to the worship at Shilo, even though the state of the priesthood in control of the holy location of the Tabernacle was in decline and was accused of acting in hypocritical ways relative to the beliefs of the faithful. Luke relates the prayer of Mary who in her visit to Elizabeth, a devote temple of the blessings of the Divine who is carrying another miracle child who like Samuel, Hannah’s child, is destined for service of the Lord. This prayer, the Magnificat, echoes the psalm of Hannah and reviews the action of God in salvation history as well as predicting the action of the Word Incarnate, Jesus Immanuel, the miracle birth which is her acceptance of the mission offered her through her intimate relationship with the Divine and her righteous husband Joseph. The Covenant with God is about to be presented to humanity through Incarnation in Human flesh!

A Day of Joy

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today are full of joy! The passages from the Hebrew Testament look to love and forward to the spring. It is the time of the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere. The days have begun to get a little bit longer. The sun is not going to disappear! The natural events of November and December, increasing darkness and stormy conditions show promise of reversal! Luke tells of the visit of the young Mary to her more mature kinswoman, Elizabeth the wife of Zachariah who is carrying in her womb, John the Baptist. The response of this child reported by Elizabeth brings great joy to the two women. Elizabeth and Zachariah are living a miracle of their own by following the will of God in their calling to present the barren woman with the child called John who is to carry out a prophetic mission for God. His revelation of the Divine Presence begins in the encounter known in Roman Catholic culture as the ‘visitation’. A community of women believers is touched by the Spirit and brought to joy. This model is a very effective example of how the Good News is proclaimed and spread. A community of joyful Spirit filled women is probably the most powerful evangelism known!

The Spirit responds with yes

Today the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary again start with the prophesy of Isaiah, given as a sign to Ahaz, that a child would be born as Immanuel (God is with us). Luke’s Gospel tells of the Annunciation to Mary by the angel of God that she has been chosen to give birth to Immanuel. Yesterday, the Lectionary contained Matthew’s account of the annunciation to Joseph, in a dream, that he is chosen to take Mary as his wife and ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’ Both Joseph and Mary are greeted by angels who implore them not to be afraid. This greeting anticipates the fear that naturally would accompany such requests from the Divine. The evangelists who relate these events have different backgrounds and different audiences for their work. Matthew is a Jew writing for Jews to help them understand Jesus as the fulfillment of the expectation of a Messiah to renew the Covenant between God and His people. Luke writes as a Gentile and a physician and student of human nature. He is one who has accompanied Paul and met with the believers of Jerusalem who have known Jesus. The “yes” of Mary is the model to Christians to moving with the Spirit in the direction prompted which may not be one that is understandable in human experience and within human time. Joseph is called in maturity to change his piety to one of action with and for the Holy Family. Mary, in her immaturity, calls on a Spirit which proclaims the goodness of the Lord even as the path ahead is completely uncharted and will require continuous communion with the Divine. The reflection in the days leading up to Christmas renews the understanding that the “Word is made flesh” and this intimacy of the Divine becoming flesh and being integrated within the being of humanity, and all individual humans, is the Covenant that is eternal.

Patiently seeing beyond appearances

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the fourth Sunday of Advent call us to two difficult practices for our times, patience and seeing beyond appearances. A response to living in an impatient world is to teach techniques for people to achieve goals quickly in ways which indentify “low hanging fruit” and “opportunity ventures”. These strategies have produced results. Have they produced progress? What is the balance to immediate gratification? We should not “judge the book by its cover” but rather than patiently working through the “book” we try to make the”cover” more attractive to entice the reader to continue. The authority to allow us to wait and to struggle to see and understand is the Promise from the Divine that our patient plodding and pondering is the key to significant progress in our personal pursuit of place and peace. (The progression of “p” words is a mental pathway for reflection). Fr Larry Gillick SJ writes with openness on the topics of patience, longing and standing at the ‘stable’ and seeing, like Joseph, more than meets the eye. Tradition holds that Joseph, a man of prayer and patience, is approached prior to the death of Mary’s parents to be guardian of Mary when she leaves the protection of the Temple at the age of twelve. The man who has experienced the communion with the Divine, through dreams at times, is prepared to patiently consider the time scale of the action of God is entirely not the understanding of humanity which lives “in the time”. Time is not finite and linear in the universe of the Eternal and Omnipotent. The “God is with us” promised through Isaiah to Ahaz and to Joseph through the angel is the understanding of the Intimate relationship experienced by believers who like Paul live with the resurrected Jesus as the Body which carries, in Paul’s case today, the Good News of the fruit of patience and vision to the Gentiles.

The Righteous Branch of David today

The history of the reassurances of Jeremiah in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary is that the Lord God has provided for the people of Israel (and Judah) from the earliest times. The path of salvation from the experiences of Abraham and Moses and David has been that the Lord God with outstretched arm and mighty hand has returned the people to the Covenant. “You are my people and I am your God”. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in the 6th century BCE is the event which is overshadowing the people who have turned away from the practices of their faith in relationship with the Divine to idolatry, and material concerns have overtaken the need for a relationship of peace and righteousness with humanity through intimacy with the Divine. Matthew’s Gospel, written for an audience of Jews, introduces the birth of Jesus as the dawning of the fulfillment of the promise of a Messiah who would lead the Hebrew people to return to great intimacy with God through the action of the Spirit which is evidenced in miraculous birth of a descendent of David who is the Son of God.

Genealogy Gentiles and the Messiah

The texts of the Roman Catholic lectionary today are presenting a path from Genesis to the Jesus; the Messiah who the psalmist anticipates will bring deliverance, righteousness and peace. The Messiah will be a descendant of David and a son of Abraham. Matthew writes as a Jew to his fellow Jews to present to them the evidence for Jesus' claim to be the King of the Jews. (Introduction to The Gospel of Matthew) Matthew presents the line of ancestors of Jesus to position Him as the long awaited Messiah. How important is Jesus lineage to Christians two centuries after Matthew’s appeal to people of his heritage. The texts and traditions which have come to Christianity from Judaism are rich in probing the relationship between Divine and humanity. The daily liturgies of Christianity resound with the prayer, joy and expectation of the Hebrew people. Linear time is a constraint of humanity. It is not a condition for the Divine. The Lord of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David is the God incarnate in humanity through Jesus. The line of time is a reminder of our limited status relative to the Divine. Nevertheless, God continues to invite all (of all time) to an intimate relationship through the indwelling Spirit.

You have turned my mourning into dancing

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today provide images of the desire of God to restore the relationship with the people of Israel who have been exiled and who are being encouraged by Isaiah to return to Jerusalem and their relationship with the Divine which will last even if the mountains should fall and the hills turn to dust. This passage is a reminder of the re-enactment of the destruction of Mount St Helens done by the US Geological Service where the mountain disappears before our eyes. On the side of the mountain at the observation station the missing mountain stands as witness to the awesome change in the landscape of Washington state. Luke presents Jesus discussion about John the Baptist, the witness to the restoration of intimacy with the Divine through the Messiah. It is similar to the description of Matthew read at the Mass for the third Sunday in Advent except that Luke states openly that the Pharisees and the lawyers has rejected God’s purpose for their lives. The spiritual journey which we are invited to embrace is to determine our identity and purpose relative to the intimate relationship with the Divine through which this discovery is revealed.

More Messengers from John the Baptist

The Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church today uses the Gospel of Luke to pose the same questions posed on the 3rd Sunday of Advent form the Gospel of Matthew. On Sunday, the reader was able to compare the actions of Jesus in healing and showing compassion to the marginalized to the vision of Isaiah of the nature of life when the people of Israel returned “right” relationship with God. Isaiah in the texts for today emphasizes the authority and power of God Creator and Sustainer. It is tempting to reduce God to a soft cuddly support for the blue days. The call to faith is a call to trust that the all powerful and infinite Divine seeks a personal intimate relationship with humanity! The scandal is the evidence of the complete love and graciousness at the core of God and His creatures.

Second Thought a very good thing

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today set up choices to consider. The prophet Zephaniah contrasts those who will be exiled from Jerusalem with those who will remain and received Divine support in their struggle to restore the peace and righteousness of the community which once again hears and acts on the guidance of God. The psalmist appeals to all to “taste and see that the Lord is good”. We often decide on whether a particular choice or action is for us before we actually know much about it. Our reluctance to change our minds may be closing doors to a fuller life. Matthew tells the story of the choice of two sons concerning going into the field for their father. The change of heart of the first son is contrasted by Jesus to the decision by the establishment not to follow the marginalized as they hear of compassion and forgiveness in the prophesy of John the Baptist. The change of heart of the least appreciated members of society will lead them to the peace and righteousness of an intimate relationship with the Divine

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

The texts of the Roman Catholic lectionary today bring the challenges of dual thinking into consideration. The religious authorities in the excerpt from Matthew’s Gospel attempt to force Jesus to declare the source of His authority. He positions them in the tough position of choosing between two extreme positions. The strategy is often proposed to ‘solve problems”. The example of the Gospel shows that dual thinking often leads to no solution. Franciscan theologian Richard Rohr explores this method in his recent book “The Naked Now”.

Impulsive and Patient

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the third Sunday in Advent proclaim change and at the same time encourage patience. This combination is often totally frustrating. How often do we want to launch into the task, get the reward, be there now! It is a part of our nature which is important for our lives. Being alive is evidenced in our response to new opportunities and changes. The impulsive tendencies are in tension with patience. The text from the letter of James uses the growing cycle as an example of required patience. The impatient may tend to be concerned with today and living this minute with attention to others. The reward described by Isaiah to the Hebrews in exile in Babylon took years for realization. We know that the riches of healing and support for the poor and the end to war are still being patiently sought by faithful believers. Matthew uses the dialogue between Jesus and the disciples of John to indicate that the change which would make even the great prophet, John the Baptist, in the image of Elijah, the least in the Kingdom which was beginning to change the relationship between humanity and the Divine. Fr Larry Gillick SJ reflects on these themes from the Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Creighton University in St Louis. The waiting for Christmas which can be seen as an experience of the tension between impulse and patience is a gift to instruct our being in the understanding of our relationship with the Divine through the indwelling Spirit

Prophets Then and Now

The lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church presents texts about Elijah and John the Baptist. The prophet Elijah battled the attraction of the Israelites to practices out of step with their Covenant with God. The power of his actions against the evil and evil doers was awesome. The justice and righteousness of the Divine is anticipated as the action of the One who comes in the name of God. Matthew tells us that John the Baptist was the returning Elijah who precedes the King od the Jews, Jesus, the Messiah. Yet Matthew tells us that the King and the Messiah will, like John the Baptist, suffer persecution and death at the hands of the authorities who have missed the significance of the invitation to return to the Covenant primarily of forgiveness compassion and love. The justice and righteousness of proper relationships follow the living of love in the relationship

The Choice needs to be made

As the second week of Advent draws to a close, the Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church offers texts which put the choice of Advent in front of us. Isaiah laments the state of the people of Israel who decided not to listen to the guidance of the Divine through listening to the indwelling Spirit. The psalmist offers the comparison of the choice between those who follow the advice of the wicked and those who hear the law of the Lord. Matthew offers the behaviour of the people of his generation (and every generation) as not seeing able to see the option for peace, joy and love which is evidenced before their eyes. The lessons of the evangelist include persistence. Peace, joy and love are visible to today’s generation when believers live the lives to which they are called and empowered to reach through the intimacy with the Divine.

The Greatness and the Goodness

The words of the Prophet Isaiah in the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer help for the poor and needy people of Israel from the consolation and care of the Divine present to them as they return to an intimate relationship with God as a physical return to Jerusalem after exile in Babylon and as a spiritual homecoming to a personal relationship guiding their individual journeys. The psalmist reflects on the greatness and goodness of the God known by Israel as graciousness, faithfulness and compassion. Matthew’s Gospel enlightens our understanding of the role of John the Baptist as the Elijah figure expected to precede the messiah awaited by the Jewish believers. This Gospel is written as a Jew to his fellow Jews and Jesus is presented as the Messiah, King of the Jews.

A Birth existing for eternity

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary is celebrated in the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The texts are from Genesis and Luke. The Virgin Mary is the new Eve. The plan of the Divine “destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ” according to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is made flesh through the “yes” “‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word”. The recognizes the interaction of the temporal and the eternal in the celebration of the Mary’s conception as the immaculate being to carry the Promise to flesh. The Word is made flesh and dwells among us in a timeless existence. The entry of the Divine into the “time” and the intimacy of the contact is the joy of today’s liturgy

People of God Are Comforted

The themes of comfort and Judgement are present in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. Isaiah speaks of the return of the people of God who have been in spiritual and physical exile to the relationship with the Divine which will be evidenced by the richness of the path travelled in company of God. He speaks of the care of God for the people as like a shepherd carrying the lambs. The psalmist praises the equity, truth and judgement of the Divine in relationship with the people. The life in the influence of these qualities of God will be marvellous and joyful. Matthew uses the image of sheep and shepherd to convey through Jesus teaching that each person is the concern of the Divine Shepherd. The search is always in progress to find and call the lost back to the flock where rejoicing will accompany their return.

Faith in Forgiveness

The theme of forgiveness is running through the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The scribes and the Pharisees are questioning Jesus authority to forgive sins in the Gospel from Luke. Jesus is drawing crowds and Luke records that the power (from God) to heal was upon Him. The story reveals the faith of the friends of the paralyzed man to work in an extraordinary way to bring the man to Jesus. Isaiah continues to reveal that we need to expect the action of the Divine in our lives to be extraordinary. The limiting factors are within us. The decision to be absent from the Presence of the Divine through selfish choices (also known as sin) is ours. Hopefully the faith of our friends can literally carry us when we only see our afflictions.

The Proclamation of Conversion

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the 2nd Sunday in Advent are themed today around the topic of conversion. Isaiah creates the image of the peaceful kingdom, which is a fruit of conversion, where the lion and lamb lie down together. The psalmist looks to the time when the righteousness of God is evident in the lives of the people. Paul proclaims that the Good News which he is called to deliver is news of communion with the divine for all humanity. The most observant Pharisee of them all is inspired to know the invitation to intimacy with God is not just for the Jews but is from the Jews to the Gentiles. Matthew tells of the preaching of John the Baptist, who was the immediate predecessor of Jesus, calling for the opening of the people to conversion through abandonment of the practices of self aggrandizement.

Healing the helpless and harrassed

The theme of healing after adversity is in the texts of the Roman Catholic lectionary today. The prophet Isaiah sees a time when the relationship of the people of Israel with God brings great fruit. The consequence of developing this relationship with the Divine will be the peace which comes from the ability to see the bigger picture and to look beyond the adversity and trial of today with the faith which encourages trust in the plan of God and a desire that His will be done. The psalmist praises the gracious action of God to the people in gathering outcasts and healing the wounded. Matthew makes it clear in his Gospel that the healing and the spreading of peace to the harassed and helpless is the mission of Jesus and those who are called to labour in the fields where the harvest is plenty and the labourers few. The season is one of expectation the Liturgies of the Church help us to become involved in the continuous expectation of Emmanuel “God is with us”.

Hope for the Future

The prophet Isaiah offers an very hopeful view in the texts of the Roman Catholic lectionary today. He writes “And those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction”. It seems that these two characteristics of human nature cause many obstacle to the development of intimacy between people. This intimacy is the promise of the growth of the intimacy between the indwelling Spirit and the Divine. The psalmist proclaims that “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”. Matthew’s Gospel tells of two blind men who followed and waited for Jesus to bring them new sight. We often need new insight. How do we heal our errors in spirit? How do I take courage and face the need for new sight? Follow, petition trust and wait!