The Spirit of Life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the changes that the Spirit reveals to us in this Advent season to bring us more fully into presenting the truth and love of God to the people in our lives.

The Spirit of Truth and Life

The reading from the Prophet Isaiah describes the Peaceful Kingdom and the return of the remnant of Israel and Judah.

* [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. (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. (Psalms, PSALM 72, n.d.)

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans declares the Gospel for Jews and Gentiles alike.

* [15:5] Think in harmony: a Greco-Roman ideal. Not rigid uniformity of thought and expression but thoughtful consideration of other people’s views finds expression here.

* [15:7–13] True oneness of mind is found in pondering the ultimate mission of the church: to bring it about that God’s name be glorified throughout the world and that Jesus Christ be universally recognized as God’s gift to all humanity. Paul here prepares his addressees for the climactic appeal he is about to make. (Romans, CHAPTER 15, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew describes the Proclamation of John the Baptist.

* [3:11] Baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire: the water baptism of John will be followed by an “immersion” of the repentant in the cleansing power of the Spirit of God, and of the unrepentant in the destroying power of God’s judgment. However, some see the holy Spirit and fire as synonymous, and the effect of this “baptism” as either purification or destruction. See note on Lk 3:16.

* [3:12] The discrimination between the good and the bad is compared to the procedure by which a farmer separates wheat and chaff. The winnowing fan was a forklike shovel with which the threshed wheat was thrown into the air. The kernels fell to the ground; the light chaff, blown off by the wind, was gathered and burned up. (Matthew, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Vivian Amu comments that sometimes we forget to stay in the moment of Advent a bit longer and more intentionally, even though it might seem easier to just look ahead.

So, today I am quite drawn to the prompt of John the Baptist to prepare in a deeper way to experience God and to do God’s work, to repent, forgive, and bear good fruit.  As we prepare our hearts, we prepare a way for God to enliven and transform us.  Preparing a way for God, preparing a welcoming place for Jesus in my heart, demands that I live a life that shows a spirit of understanding, wisdom, endurance, courage, harmony, truthfulness, authenticity, and reconciliation.  Preparing a way for the Lord and making the way straight also means listening to God intentionally and removing the blockages and obstacles which prevent God from coming close to me.  Advent might also be a good time for me to intentionally look into the parts of my life that need straightening out and then maybe in the process even find the courage to stay a little while longer in the discomfort of waiting and preparation which could sometimes fill the Advent space. (Amu, 2022)

Don Schwager quotes “The voice of the one crying in the wilderness,” by Theodoret of Cyr 393-466 A.D.

"The true consolation, the genuine comfort and the real deliverance from the iniquities of humankind is the incarnation of our God and Savior. Now the first who acted as herald of this event was the inspired John the Baptist. Accordingly, the prophetic text proclaims the realities that relate to him in advance, for that is what the three blessed Evangelists have taught us and that the most divine Mark has even made the prologue of his work. As for the inspired John, whom the Pharisees asked whether he himself was the Christ, he declared on his part: 'I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord' as the prophet Isaiah said (John 1:23; Isaiah 40:30); I am not God the Word but a voice, for it is as a herald that I am announcing God the Word, who is incarnate. Moreover, he refers to the Gentiles as the 'untrodden [land]' because they have not yet received the prophetic stamp." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 12.40.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 3:1-12 comments that God wants to give us a new way of thinking and acting. He wants to replace our foolishness with his wisdom. He wants to give us insights into his love and all that he can do in our hearts. And he wants to give us strength to obey his commands. But we have to come to him and confess our need.

At Mass today, you will be invited to cry out, “Lord, have mercy.” But you will also ask Jesus, “Only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.” Jesus loves to forgive your sins, but he longs to heal your soul—your “roots”—even more. So welcome him in. Ask his Spirit to keep making you into a new creation.

“Come, Lord, teach me to bear fruit in keeping with my repentance.” (Meditation on Matthew 3:1-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler describes the change of focus of Isaiah from hope in the next king to a conviction that God would choose a Messiah in the line of David who would be associated with the gifts of the Spirit upon Israel. Our destruction of some of our bonds with Nature will be restored and Paul understands that the separation of Jews and Gentiles will cease as we become one community. Friar Jude notes the time that John the Baptist spent with the Essenes is reflected in the warning to accept the Word of God or pay the price.

Brian McLaren shares how Father Richard Rohr, OFM, writes of how we grow in faith by letting go of our need for certainty. Some would think that is the whole meaning of Christianity: to be able to decide who’s going to heaven and who isn’t, who is holy and who is unholy. This is much more a search for control than it is a search for truth, love, or God. It has to do with ego, which needs to pigeonhole everything to give itself that sense of “I know” and “I am in control.” God knew that religion would take this direction. So, God said, “Don’t do it. Don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” God is trying to keep us from a lust for certitude, an undue need for explanation, resolution, and answers. Frankly, these things make biblical faith impossible.

It seems that God is asking humanity to live inside of a cosmic humility. In that holding pattern, instead of insisting on dividing reality into the good and the bad, we bear the ambiguity, the inconsistencies, and the brokenness of all things. It is our ultimate act of solidarity with humanity and with the world.

When we are allowed to name certain individuals as “bad,” persecution, scapegoating, and violence almost always follow. When we too easily presume that we are one of the “good” people, we largely live in illusion and prejudice. I say this as a religious person, but religion has been the justification of much of the violence in human history. God wanted to undercut that very violence at the beginning. (McLaren, 2022)

We are urged to prepare in Advent for change in our journey that resonates with the transformation of the world through Jesus Incarnation.

References

Amu, V. (2022, December 4). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120422.html 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/11?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/3?1 

McLaren, B. (2022, December 4). We Don't Need to Know — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/we-dont-need-to-know-2022-12-04/ 

Meditation on Matthew 3:1-12. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/04/548141/ 

Psalms, PSALM 72. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/72?1 

Romans, CHAPTER 15. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/15?4 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). John Points to the Coming of Christ and His Kingdom. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec4 

A Mission of Preparation

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of the ”name” that indicates our mission as followers of Christ.

Mission of Grace

 

The reading from the Prophet Isaiah outlines the Servant’s Mission.

 

* [49:6] The servant’s vocation extends beyond the restoration of Israel in order to bring the knowledge of Israel’s God to the rest of the earth; cf. Lk 2:32.1

Psalm 139 praises the Inescapable God.

 

* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6), of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16). Summing up Ps 139:1–16, 17–18 express wonder.2

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is part of Paul’s address in the synagogue sharing that God has brought to Israel a Saviour.

 

* [13:16–41] This is the first of several speeches of Paul to Jews proclaiming that the Christian church is the logical development of Pharisaic Judaism (see also Acts 24:10–21; 26:2–23).3

The Gospel of Luke tells of the birth of John the Baptist.

 

* [1:57–66] The birth and circumcision of John above all emphasize John’s incorporation into the people of Israel by the sign of the covenant (Gn 17:1–12). The narrative of John’s circumcision also prepares the way for the subsequent description of the circumcision of Jesus in Lk 2:21. At the beginning of his two-volume work Luke shows those who play crucial roles in the inauguration of Christianity to be wholly a part of the people of Israel. At the end of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 21:20; 22:3; 23:6–9; 24:14–16; 26:2–8, 22–23) he will argue that Christianity is the direct descendant of Pharisaic Judaism.4

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments that all too often, instead of owning who we are, we succumb to the temptation of pretending to be who we are not. We wear appearances, in order to impress people and mislead them into thinking that we are what we are not, perhaps because we do not think that they can be impressed by what we really are.

 

John had a golden opportunity to pretend to be who he knew he was not. The possibility of such pretension was offered to him on a platter, but he did not take the bait. He knew well who he was - only a voice - and he knew equally well who he was not. We need to pray for a wholesome self-awareness, knowing who we are and who we are not and owning both.5

Don Schwager quotes “Parallels between John and Jesus,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

 

"The elderly Elizabeth gave birth to the last of the prophets, and Mary, a young girl, to the Lord of the angels. The daughter of Aaron gave birth to the voice in the desert (Isaiah 63:9), but the daughter of David to the strong God of the earth. The barren one gave birth to him who remits sins, but the Virgin gave birth to him who takes them away (John 1:29). Elizabeth gave birth to him who reconciled people through repentance, but Mary gave birth to him who purified the lands of uncleanness. The elder one lit a lamp in the house of Jacob, his father, for this lamp itself was John (John 5:35), while the younger one lit the Sun of Justice (Malachi 4:2) for all the nations. The angel announced to Zechariah, so that the slain one would proclaim the crucified one and that the hated one would proclaim the envied one. He who was to baptize with water would proclaim him who would baptize with fire and with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). The light, which was not obscure, would proclaim the Sun of Justice. The one filled with the Spirit would proclaim concerning him who gives the Spirit. The priest calling with the trumpet would proclaim concerning the one who is to come at the sound of the trumpet at the end. The voice would proclaim concerning the Word, and the one who saw the dove would proclaim concerning him upon whom the dove rested, like the lightning before the thunder." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.31)6

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:57-66, 80 comments that John kept saying no to his own will and yes to God’s will because he knew that God had given him a specific mission. He knew that God would give him the grace he needed to live out that mission.That’s what fueled John’s yes each time.

 It’s what can fuel our yes to God too. Each one of us is called to play a part in building God’s kingdom. Every time you follow John’s example and say no to your own preferences, you are saying yes to something better from God. Every time you listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, you are fulfilling your call. Your little acts of surrender, your seemingly insignificant yeses to God along the way help bring about God’s will in your life and in the people around you. Taken together, they steer you toward a bigger yes as you begin to understand and pursue the mission he has for your life.7

Friar Jude Winkler connects the Suffering Servant to Jesus and the unworthiness of John the Baptist to “marry” the widow Israel. The kerygma proclaimed by Paul declares that God chose John the Baptist to announce the Saviour to Israel. Friar Jude notes the similarities of John’s practice to the Essenes of Qumran.

 

James Finley shows us how reading the words of the mystics can be a form of contemplative spiritual direction. They serve as a mirror, revealing to us their own humanity and the Presence of the Holy Spirit that is ever present to us, just as it was to them.

 

The mystics are assuming several things, that first of all, there’s the dignity, and the reality, and the complexities of the human experience. . . . They’re always assuming that these are real life people living a real life. So, in that sense, it’s a deep respect for the dignity and gift of the human experience. Secondly, they assume that it’s the human experience illumined by faith, and specifically as revealed in Christ and all of the Scriptures, that we’re living our life in a relationship with God, and that God’s in a relationship with us, and God’s in this related state of oneness with us. And God’s oneness with us is the reality of us. That is, God’s perpetually creating us breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat. . . .8

The mission for our journey is revealed as we attend to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Isaiah, CHAPTER 49 | USCCB. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/49
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139
3	(n.d.). Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/13
4	(n.d.). Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1
5	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062421.html
6	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=jun24a
7	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/06/24/189725/
8	(n.d.). Spiritual Direction Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://cac.org/themes/spiritual-direction/