The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today inspire us to contemplate a vision of a perfect society wherein our lives focus on dispelling darkness with faith.
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| The righteous society |
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah imagines the peaceful Kingdom ruled by the ideal Davidic King and the return of the remnant of Israel and Judah from captivity.
* [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 and praises the Father for the privileges of discipleship experienced by Jesus followers.
* [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
Maureen McCann Waldron comments it’s a vision of peace and life and a renewal, which Isaiah offers to us as we begin Advent. It’s a hope offered by a prophet that is fulfilled with the birth of Jesus. She notes that we are busy, and it can be hard to sit in silence when we don’t exactly know what to say. But the good news is that today is the day we can begin. It’s simple. We know how unworthy we are in our hearts. How difficult we can be. How much we want our own way. Impatience with our families and selfishness with so many.
Here is the impossible, joyful news. God already knows exactly who we are and how we live our lives. We may think we are undeserving, but it simply doesn’t matter. God already loves us more than we can imagine. These weeks of Advent are a time to simply whisper in a quiet moment, “Thank you. My heart wants to welcome you, but I don’t know where to start. Help me to enter into Advent.”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. inspires advice to bloom this Christmas, and change our ordinary way of doing things. Try to unplug from the “bright light” of all the activities that encourage us to stay busy all the time. Set aside time for the “dormancy” of thoughtful solitude. Try to sit quietly with the Scriptures and hear God’s voice.
Making these kinds of changes in your routine will nurture your faith, even if you don’t notice it. Remember the poinsettia! It doesn’t know that it’s turning red. It just does it by responding to the changes in its environment. Similarly, as you modify your routine and your environment, your heart will respond to the changes and something will happen inside of you. Maybe you will become less likely to snap at someone who annoys you. You might catch yourself smiling more often. Or you might slowly realize that something that tempted you in the past doesn’t have as much power over you anymore.6
Friar Jude Winkler explains the desire of Isaiah in the light of the “mess up” of the last of the Davidic Kings. In the Greek and Latin Bible texts the seventh gift of the Spirit, piety, completes the perfect number indicating an infinite wealth of gifts in the Spirit. Friar Jude reminds us of the revelation of the mysteries of God through simple trust rather than by analytical efforts.
The Franciscan Media account of the life of Saint Francis Xavier, Saint of the Day for December 3, leads to the reflection that all of us are called to “go and preach to all nations (Matthew 28:19). Our preaching is not necessarily on distant shores but to our families, our children, our husband or wife, our coworkers.
And we are called to preach not with words, but by our everyday lives. Only by sacrifice, the giving up of all selfish gain, could Francis Xavier be free to bear the Good News to the world. Sacrifice is leaving yourself behind at times for a greater good, the good of prayer, the good of helping someone in need, the good of just listening to another. The greatest gift we have is our time. Francis Xavier gave his to others.7
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the writings of Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister. She is a tireless advocate for the poor and marginalized, and she is also a brilliant and prolific writer, with more than fifty books to her credit. She writes here of the effects of literal darkness or the absence of light.
The darkness of the soul is no less spiritually punishing than is the loss of physical light to the psyche. We talk about faith but cannot tolerate the thought of it. It’s light we want, not shadow, certainty not questions. The aphotic, the place without images, is no less an attack on faith and hope than those periods in life when nighttime brings nothing but unclarity, nothing but fear. Where am I going? the soul wants to know. When will this be over? the mind wants to know. How can I get out of this sightless place I’m in? the heart demands.8
Fr. Richard notes that the spiritual darkness Sister Joan describes can be a truly difficult and terrifying experience, but all the saints and mystics assure us that darkness will never have the last word. The Scriptures promise us that the Light shines on in the darkness and will not be overcome by it (see John 1:5). Our Advent quiet time is facilitated by darker days as we ponder the Kingdom of Light celebrated as Incarnation on Christmas Day.
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