Seeing Hope

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to celebrate the hope we received from the Spirit that transformation of our motivation and action is in the plan of God.

Remembering Our Roots

The reading from the Prophet Isaiah is a vision of Hope for the Future. 

* [29:17–24] The prophet presents the positive aspects of God’s plan in terms of a series of reversals: an end to pride, ignorance, and injustice. Cf. 32:3–5. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 29, n.d.)

Psalm 27 is a triumphant Song of Confidence.

* [Psalm 27] Tradition has handed down the two sections of the Psalm (Ps 27:1–6; 7–14) as one Psalm, though each part could be understood as complete in itself. Asserting boundless hope that God will bring rescue (Ps 27:1–3), the psalmist longs for the presence of God in the Temple, protection from all enemies (Ps 27:4–6). In part B there is a clear shift in tone (Ps 27:7–12); the climax of the poem comes with “I believe” (Ps 27:13), echoing “I trust” (Ps 27:3). (Psalms, PSALM 27, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus heals Two Blind Men.

* [9:27–31] This story was probably composed by Matthew out of Mark’s story of the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46–52). Mark places the event late in Jesus’ ministry, just before his entrance into Jerusalem, and Matthew has followed his Marcan source at that point in his gospel also (see Mt 20:29–34). In each of the Matthean stories the single blind man of Mark becomes two. The reason why Matthew would have given a double version of the Marcan story and placed the earlier one here may be that he wished to add a story of Jesus’ curing the blind at this point in order to prepare for Jesus’ answer to the emissaries of the Baptist (Mt 11:4–6) in which Jesus, recounting his works, begins with his giving sight to the blind. (Matthew, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

Gladyce Janky asks us to imagine we are gathered with others listening to the Prophet tell us God’s promise of a better future (Is 29:17-24).

 What injustices do you hear Isaiah prophesying will end, and does today’s Gospel offer you a vision of Hope?    

May our Advent be a time to reflect, remember, and imagine how Christ’s coming will transform the world.  And may each of us confidently declare, “Yes, Lord, I believe you can do this.”    

Wait for the Lord with courage, be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.  PS 27:14 (Janky, 2022)

Don Schwager quotes “They saw because they believed in the Messiah,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"At that point, two blind men follow the Lord as he was passing by. But if they could not see, how could the blind men know of the Lord's departure as well as his name? Moreover, they called him 'Son of David' and asked to be made well. In the two blind men, the entire earlier prefiguration [miracles in Matthew 9:18-26] is complete. The ruler's daughter seems to be from these people, namely, the Pharisees and John's disciples, who already made common cause in testing the Lord. To these unknowing persons the law gave evidence as to the one from whom they sought a cure. It indicated to them that their Savior in the flesh was of the line of David. It also introduced light to the minds of those who were blind from past sins. They could not see Christ but were told about him. The Lord showed them that faith should not be expected as a result of health but health should be expected because of faith. The blind men saw because they believed; they did not believe because they saw. From this we understand that what is requested must be predicated on faith and that faith must not be exercised because of what has been obtained. If they should believe, he offers them sight. And he charges the believers to be silent, for it was exclusively the task of the apostles to preach." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 9.9) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 29:17-24 comments that the Scriptures, as old as they are, were written so that even our hearts could be open to the truth about God’s desire to save his people. Jesus didn’t come to earth so that the world would stay the same. He came to open the ears of the deaf, to restore sight to the blind, and to comfort the lowly in every generation (Isaiah 29:18-19). In other words, he came to heal and save each one of us.

Jesus wants to open your spiritual ears and eyes a little more each day so that you’ll come to know him better. So pray that the Advent readings will fill you with wonder and gratitude for the miracle of Jesus coming among us. As the ears of the deaf were opened to “hear the words of a book” (Isaiah 29:18) pray that the Holy Spirit will open your ears to hear what he is saying to you as you read his word each day.

“Holy Spirit, awaken me this Advent to know and love Jesus more than ever before!” (Meditation on Isaiah 29:17-24, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the prophecy of Isaiah about God blessing His people healing blindness, restoring justice, and returning to Creation. The Spirit of Understanding, Insight, and Conversion makes us more of what we are. Friar Jude reminds us that through acts of faith God makes things right in our lives.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that one of the things that the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) taught us in the religious orders, and this was certainly from the Holy Spirit, is that we were each to go back to our founders and say, “What did Catherine McAuley found the Sisters of Mercy for? What did Francis form the Franciscans for? What did Ignatius do with the Jesuits?”. . . 

So as much as we experienced a renewal in scripture [in Vatican II, asking] “What did Jesus really teach?,” we were simultaneously doing the same thing—in our case with Francis of Assisi. We’re an alternative orthodoxy. We’re quite eager to remain in the Catholic or universal church, but some of the things it does are not very universal, not very Catholic at all! And that has shaken us to our foundations. So it did for me, too. We were founded by a prophet, Francis, who wasn’t the usual pious saint, but he didn’t accuse the system of being inferior. He just went out and did it better. That’s still one of our CAC principles: “The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.”

I was in Rome a couple of months ago, as some of you know, to visit the Holy Father [Pope Francis]. We took a little side trip to the church of Saint John Lateran; that’s where the pope lived in the thirteenth century. St. Peter’s wasn’t built yet. Out in the courtyard, there’s this marvelous, rather large set of statues, and it’s Francis in the thirteenth century approaching this top-heavy Roman church. He’s smiling, and his hand is raised in blessing, but it’s also raised in confrontation. That’s the history we’ve all been dealing with. How do we return to our sources, and discover that almost all our sources were critical of [their current] Roman Catholicism? . . . (Rohr, 2022)

Our Baptismal anointing as prophet is the basis of the prompting of the Spirit to see the need for change to heal the communities in which we live.

References

Isaiah, CHAPTER 29. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/29?17 

Janky, G. (2022, December 2). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120222.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9?27 

Meditation on Isaiah 29:17-24. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/02/547178/ 

Psalms, PSALM 27. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/27?1 

Rohr, R. (2022, December 2). Returning to Our Roots — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/returning-to-our-roots-2022-12-02/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec2 

 

Foundation in Faith

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the gifts and promise of the Holy Spirit for fullness of life and our commitment to act in response.

Foundation of Faith

The reading from the Prophet Isaiah is Judah’s Song of Victory.

* [26:1–19] This text is a mixture of praise for the salvation that will take place, a confession of Judah’s inability to achieve deliverance on its own, and earnest prayer that God may quickly bring about the longed-for salvation. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 26, n.d.)

Psalm 118 is a Song of Victory.

* [Psalm 118] A thanksgiving liturgy accompanying a procession of the king and the people into the Temple precincts. After an invocation in the form of a litany (Ps 118:1–4), the psalmist (very likely speaking in the name of the community) describes how the people confidently implored God’s help (Ps 118:5–9) when hostile peoples threatened its life (Ps 118:10–14); vividly God’s rescue is recounted (Ps 118:15–18). Then follows a possible dialogue at the Temple gates between the priests and the psalmist as the latter enters to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice (Ps 118:19–25). Finally, the priests impart their blessing (Ps 118:26–27), and the psalmist sings in gratitude (Ps 118:28–29). (Psalms, PSALM 118, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus exhorts us to live our faith.

* [7:24–27] The conclusion of the discourse (cf. Lk 6:47–49). Here the relation is not between saying and doing as in Mt 7:15–23 but between hearing and doing, and the words of Jesus are applied to every Christian (everyone who listens). (Matthew, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock comments that our commission to do the Father’s will seems difficult – how do we know what that is and how do we go about finding out?

For me, I like to boil things down to their least complex form, the simplest. In this matter of doing the Father’s will I turn in trust to Jesus, the very enfleshment of the Father’s will. His word builds the firm foundation of our lives.

Hopefully our actions flow from a frequent reading and pondering of his word, such that even without thinking, we express his love and mercy in all we do and say. I’m still working on it. Compassion is never wrong, even for ourselves.

And now, for me, the really good news in these readings: As we do the will of the Father we are already in heaven.  In my thinking, heaven can begin here and now, as we manifest the goodness of the Lord. (Braddock, 2022)

Don Schwager quotes “Turn your vision to the Savior,” by Verecundus (died 552 AD).

"When Hezekiah, the king of Judah and son of Ahaz, was gravely ill and had learned of his coming death by the prophecy of Isaiah, he turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly (2 Kings 20:1-3). Immediately the Lord in his mercy not only averted the destruction of imminent death but also added fifteen years to the man's life. Then, at last, Hezekiah sang this song (Isaiah 38:10-20). Hezekiah, a holy man who reigned at that time over all of Israel, displayed the Lord's form: clearly he had every movement of body, soul and mind in subjection to himself, and he accepted the consequences of his infirmity and weakness. He knew without doubt through the prophetic message that the end of his life was approaching. For the longer we seem to live, the more indubitably is our future death foreknown to us. And if we turn our face to the wall when struck by the fear of death, that is, if we direct the vision of our hearts to the Savior, who is here represented by the wall because he is elsewhere called 'a wall,' we will be saved, inasmuch as he saves the faithful who dwell within him from a great many attacks. 'In the city of our strength,' says Isaiah, 'is the Savior established as a wall and a fortress' (Isaiah 26:1). Behold, the Savior is said to be a wall." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE CANTICLE OF EZEKIEL 5.1-2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:21, 24-27 comments that you would think that building our house on the solid rock of Jesus’ word would be easy. But we know that’s not always true. Temptation is never far away, and we sometimes give in. When this happens, our spiritual house can become weakened or fall into disrepair. If it happens too often, we risk seeing our house collapse altogether.

What a good thing, then, that Jesus has also given us the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which can help repair our spiritual foundation. Confession can be a wonderfully freeing experience! As you lay your sins at the foot of the cross, you can find yourself refreshed and renewed. As you listen to the words of forgiveness and consolation from the priest, you can find the strength and encouragement to get back to building your life on the most reliable and trustworthy foundation ever: Jesus himself. So try to get to Confession before Christmas, and see what God does in your heart as a result.

“Jesus, give me the courage to make a good confession this Advent.” (Meditation on Matthew 7:21, 24-27, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler compares the hymn of trust and humbling of the mighty and lifting of the downtrodden to the Magnificat hymn of Mary. Proclaiming “Lord, Lord” is superficial. We have to live it. Friar Jude suggests that in the times when our faith is shaken, our expression of desire to trust by wishing to have faith may be enough for God when it is the best we can do.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Historian and writer Diana Butler Bass who reflects on a church on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay, and the implications of its future in this time of climate crisis. Theologian Sallie McFague (1933–2019) was inspired by Isaiah’s prophetic vision of new heavens and earth—and what it requires of us.

To me, the question about the future of Christianity has become: “What must Christians do to serve all creation when the island itself is in danger of sinking?” [1]

Isaiah’s hymn to a new creation and Jesus’ parables of the reign of God touch this deepest desire in each of us for a different, better world. It would be a world in which human dignity and the integrity of creation are central, a world in which the intrinsic value of all human beings and of the creation itself is recognized and appreciated. . . . Do we have any hope for a different, better world? Given the situation we face at the beginning of the twenty-first century of war, violence, AIDS, capitalist greed, and now the specter of global warming, it seems absurd to even bother with such a question. And yet we read in the Isaiah passage [65:17–25] that in the midst of painting this wonderful picture of life beyond our wildest dreams, God says, “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.” “While they are yet speaking”—we have only to ask for God to answer! But we must ask with our whole being; a better world must become our deepest desire. And this means, of course, we must work at it; we must give our whole selves to it. [2] (Rohr, 2022)

The love and compassion that Jesus leads us to live is to be extended by our action to all people and the Creation around us.

References

Braddock, S. (2022, December 1). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120122.html 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 26. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/26?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7?21 

Meditation on Matthew 7:21, 24-27. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/01/546647/ 

Psalms, PSALM 118. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/118?1 

Rohr, R. (2022, December 1). A Healthy Church Needs a Healthy Planet — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-healthy-church-needs-a-healthy-planet-2022-12-01/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec1