The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today encourage us to attend to the signs of the mercy and providential care of God in our lives.
Signs of mercy
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah celebrates the Liberator of Israel.
* [41:14] Redeemer: in Hebrew, go’el, one who frees others from slavery and avenges their sufferings; cf. Lv 25:48; Dt 19:6, 12. Cf. note on Ru 2:20.1
Psalm 145 praises the Greatness and the Goodness of God.
* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.2
The Gospel of Matthew is Jesus’ Testimony to John the Baptist.
* [11:11] John’s preeminent greatness lies in his function of announcing the imminence of the kingdom (Mt 3:1). But to be in the kingdom is so great a privilege that the least who has it is greater than the Baptist.3
Ronald Fussell reflects on how we engage the poor and marginalized – the least among us – the ones who need it most.
But, the psalmist writes, “the Lord is good and merciful – slow to anger, and of great kindness.” For me, the important word of this passage is merciful. To be merciful means to show compassion – to suffer with – to see the world through another’s eyes. Jesus was and is a perfect picture of this compassion as we see in so many of his encounters with others. Jesus’s compassion calls us to the same – to encounter others with steadfast grace and perfect humility, so that we too can understand their world through their eyes.4
Don Schwager quotes “The Kingdom of Heaven,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).
"What violence (Matthew 11:12)? People did not believe in John the Baptist. The works of Christ were held to be of no importance. His torment on the cross was a stumbling block. 'Until now' prophecy has been dormant. But now the law is fulfilled. Every prediction is finished. The spirit of Elijah is sent in advance through John's words. Christ is proclaimed to some and acknowledged by others. He is born for some and loved by others. The violent irony is that his own people rejected him, while strangers accepted him. His own people speak ill of him, while his enemies embrace him. The act of adoption offers an inheritance, while the family rejects it. Sons refuse to accept their father's last will, while the slaves of the household receive it. This is what is meant by the phrase 'the kingdom of heaven suffers violence' (Matthew 11:12). Earlier expectations are being torn apart. The glory that was pledged to Israel by the patriarchs, which was announced by the prophets and which was offered by Christ, is now being seized and carried off by the Gentiles, through their faith." (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 11.7)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 41:13-20 invites us to take some time today to look back over the first readings from Mass for the past week or so. Again and again, God promises life where once there was death. Again and again, he promises healing and restoration for the barren and wounded places in your soul. He can heal long-held resentments, break the bonds of guilt over past failings, and help you find victory over current sinful habits.
Who but God can accomplish such marvels? And like the Israelites, you will see them as you persevere in your journey with him. Yes, he asks you to cooperate with him, but he also promises that as you do, you’ll begin to see changes beyond your expectations. As you persist in coming to him and following his word, you’ll look back at where you’ve come from and proclaim in gratitude, “The hand of the Lord has done this!” “Lord, I believe that you can do the impossible in me. Help me to surrender to you so that I can know your healing touch!”6
Friar Jude Winkler notes the humble position of Israel as Yahweh speaks to the returning exiles in the first person. John the Baptist takes the role of Elijah in proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven. Friar Jude reminds us to listen for our transformation in times of violence.
Cynthia Bourgeault explores the idea that mystical hope is something that arises from within us, not as a result of our own effort, but as a fruit of our ability to consciously abide in what she calls “the Mercy” of God. It is the water in which we swim. Mercy is the length and breadth and height and depth of what we know of God—and the light by which we know it. You might even think of it as the Being of God insofar as we can possibly penetrate into it in this life, so that it is impossible to encounter God apart from the dimension of mercy.
Hope’s home is at the innermost point in us, and in all things. It is a quality of aliveness. It does not come at the end, as the feeling that results from a happy outcome. Rather, it lies at the beginning, as a pulse of truth that sends us forth. When our innermost being is attuned to this pulse it will send us forth in hope, regardless of the physical circumstances of our lives. Hope fills us with the strength to stay present, to abide in the flow of the Mercy no matter what outer storms assail us. It is entered always and only through surrender; that is, through the willingness to let go of everything we are presently clinging to. And yet when we enter it, it enters us and fills us with its own life—a quiet strength beyond anything we have ever known.7
As we consider our experience of mercy, we are prompted by the Spirit to embrace hope in fullness of life.
References
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