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Subject
Lectionary # and Lectionary # 180
Thursday and Friday of First Week
of Advent
Scripture: Thursday of First Week of Advent. Isaiah 26:1-6. Psalm
118:1.8-9.19-21.25-27. Matthew 7:21.24-27. Lectionary # 179:
Our last verse from Isaiah is an excellent one for this Advent day:
"The Lord is God, and he has given us light." Isaiah usually addresses God
directly in his writings, for example, "Lord God", "The Holy One of
Israel", "Father". This personal "touch" to addressing God is more helpful
than the images that are sometimes used for God, for example, "My Rock,"
"My Fortress", etc. We prefer to speak to God as a Person rather than as a
force or some stronghold on earth. Our Psalm takes up this personal way of
addressing God, "Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord." (Psalm
118:26).
Jesus cautions us not simply to call out to him , "Lord, Lord" but to
put our prayer and invocation into action by doing the will of God and thus
confirming our calling out as a prayer or cry of our faith. By doing the
will of God we are already experiencing the kingdom of God within us while
living out the beatitudes and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
And we do not forget the living out of the commandments. Yes, it is good
for us to speak to God in a personal way.
The Decree on Divine Revelation of Vatican II called Dei Verbum, the
Word of God, invites us to learn from the Scriptures to speak to God as
Moses did, that is, as a friend to a friend. This means that we put into
practice God's words and revelation to us in the Scriptures, the liturgy,
and the sacraments. We also try to see God in other persons as we speak to
them and interact with them. The action of doing God's will is likely to
follow once we speak to God with the affection and intimacy of a dear
friend. Amen.
Scripture: Friday of First Week in Advent. Isaiah 29:17-24. Psalm
27:1.4.13-14. Matthew 9:27-31. Lectionary # 180:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation." Our response fits perfectly
with today's reading of Matthew. We visualize the scene of the two blind
men who approach Jesus and call out confidently, "Son of David, have pity
on us." Jesus asks them, "Are you confident I can do this?" The
immediately reply, "Yes, Lord." They are already seeing Jesus in the light
of their confident faith and trust and Jesus, the Light of the world, gives
them the gift of vision. They see and dialogue with Jesus. We are called
to do the same through our Advent prayers to him as our friend and our
Savior. Like them we should go out and witness to what he does for us; not
necessarily as they did but with the inner conviction that our love propels
us to do through our generosity and our reaching out to others. Just as
they proclaim him whom they now see, we too proclaim Christ by our actions
and motives in going about the ordinary things of the day. Surely, Jesus
does not hold their enthusiasm against them nor against us!
Light that helps us to see, is one of the symbols of the liturgy
especially during this season of Advent. Candles are lit in the chapel or
church, they are also used in our prayer places in our room or our home,
the wreath is patiently lying there to experience the lighting of its
candles in successive weeks. All of these forms of "light" help us to
reflect on the meaning of Advent when Jesus comes into history as a baby
and when he comes in glorious light in his Second Coming.
Psalm 27 is a psalm that is all about light and seeing. This can
help us pray perhaps in a quiet corner of our room while taking up the rest
of the Psalms verses not used in the liturgy. We should savor the Psalm by
reading it slowly and pondering it over. Even Isaiah is joining us in thie
the theme of seeing or light. We read in the passage for today, "They
shall keep my name holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Israel
Children will see the work of his hands in our midst." Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 12:38 PM
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