The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the awe and wonder with which we encounter love, compassion, and mercy on our journey.
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah is a vision of the Peaceful Kingdom.
* [11:1–16] Isaiah 11 contains a prophecy of the rise of a new Davidic king who will embody the ancient ideal of Davidic kingship (vv. 1–9), an elaboration of that prophecy in a further description of that king’s rule (v. 10), and a prophecy of God’s deliverance of the chosen people from exile and cessation of enmities (vv. 11–16).
* [11:1–9 (10)] Here Isaiah looks forward to a new Davidide who will realize the ancient ideals (see Ps 72). The oracle does not seem to have a particular historical person in mind.
* [11:1] Shoot…stump: the imagery suggests the bankruptcy of the monarchy as embodied in the historical kings, along with the need for a new beginning, to spring from the very origin from which David and his dynasty arose. Jesse: David’s father (cf. 1 Sm 16:1–13).
* [11:2–3] The source of the traditional names of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Septuagint and the Vulgate read “piety” for “fear of the Lord” in its first occurrence, thus listing seven gifts.
* [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. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
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.
* [72:2] The king…the king’s son: the crown prince is the king’s son; the prayer envisages the dynasty.
* [72:8] From sea to sea…the ends of the earth: the boundaries of the civilized world known at the time: from the Mediterranean Sea (the western sea) to the Persian Gulf (the eastern sea), and from the Euphrates (the river) to the islands and lands of southwestern Europe, “the ends of the earth.” The words may also have a mythic nuance—the earth surrounded by cosmic waters, hence everywhere. (Psalms, PSALM 72, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Rejoices.
* [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. (Luke, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)
Steve Scholer recommends that as we journey through this Advent season, let us not only enjoy the miracle of Christ’s birth, but patiently listen to what God is telling us. Whether from the pulpit, our daily reflections, prayer, or our myriad experiences as we interact with others, let us strive to discern how God reveals his love for us and how we are responding to it.
Are we living as Christ would want us to, unselfish in how we treat those less fortunate, merciful in our judgments about the actions of others, forgiving the wrongs we suffer? If the foundation of our faith is built on God’s love for us, then these things should come easily. If they don’t, then we need to remember this Advent season that “There are three things that will endure; faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (Scholer, 2023)
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) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 11:1-10 comments that we all long for that day when peace will reign because we all have “impossible” situations that we can’t resolve. They may even seem too difficult to pray for. Yet Isaiah declares that we can have hope. The new creation has come, and Jesus has the power to help us. He can bring new life even where it seems impossible.
As you begin Advent, surrender your impossibilities to Jesus. Trust him to come and act. He will move forward his plan of peace for you. He’s not bound by what seems impossible.
“Come, Jesus, make all things new in my life!” (Meditation on Isaiah 11:1-10, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler considers how the text from Isaiah seeks a king to rule with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and bring justice and shalom to Jews and Gentiles. Jesus notes that the mysteries are revealed to the childlike with a sense of awe and wonder and are often invisible to the overly analytic. Friar Jude invites us to reacquire awe and wonder in the Eucharist and our community.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Judy Cannato (1949–2011) who emphasizes the importance of amazement as the starting point for contemplation. She names the difficulty we face trying to recognize and hold on to what’s “real”.
Contemplation is a long loving look at what is real. How often we are fooled by what mimics the real. Indeed, we live in a culture that flaunts the phony and thrives on glittering fabrication. We are so bombarded by the superficial and the trivial that we can lose our bearings and give ourselves over to a way of living that drains us of our humanity. Seduced by the superficial, we lose the very freedom we think all our acquisitions will provide. When we are engaged in the experience and practice of radical amazement, we begin to distinguish between the genuine and the junk. Caught up in contemplative awareness and rooted in love, we begin to break free from cultural confines and embrace the truth that lies at the heart of all reality: We are one. (Rohr, 2023)
We implore the guidance of the Spirit to restore our sense of awe and wonder at our experiences of truth, goodness, and love as we seek to live in the “shalom” described by Isaiah.
References
Isaiah, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/11?1
Luke, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?
Meditation on Isaiah 11:1-10. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/12/05/842584/
Psalms, PSALM 72. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/72?1
Rohr, R. (2023, December 5). An Awe That Connects — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/an-awe-that-connects/
Scholer, S. (2023, December 5). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120523.html
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Blessed Are the Eyes Which See What You See! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=dec5
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