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!