Friday, December 05, 2008

Friday of the First Week of Advent


Readings for Friday of the First Week of Advent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:
[3]

Reading 1:
Isaiah 29:17-24

But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
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Commentary on
Is 29:17-24

This selection from Isaiah is probably a proverb of redemption. We see the language of messianic hope as the oracle sees a time when unjust rulers will be cast down and those who perjure themselves making false accusations (“…those whose mere word condemns a man”) will be discredited. God who redeemed Abraham (by converting him from idol worship) will save all of the faithful through the messiah.

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Responsorial Psalm:
[4] Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
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Commentary on
Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14

Psalm 27 is a hymn of praise with two distinct parts. This passage captures the two major themes of the song, hope in God’s mercy and complete trust in his goodness.

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Gospel:
Matthew 9:27-31

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed (him), crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
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Commentary on
Mt 9:27-31

The two blind men in this selection from St. Matthew’s Gospel address Jesus with his messianic title “Son of David”. The Lord proceeds to respond to that title fulfilling a major part of the predictive prophecies about the Messiah by causing the blind to see. This event is seen as fulfilling the oracle of Isaiah just proclaimed in the first reading (“And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.
Isaiah 29:18).

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Reflection:

The Candle of Hope still burns!

We are filled with hope because in our faith – we know Christ will open our eyes that we might see God’s Glory. It shines like a beacon as the Nativity of Christ draws near, it is our everlasting hope that we will meet him when he comes again, with all the saints in the Heavenly Kingdom.

The very strong link between the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the redemption that flows from the Messiah and Matthew’s Gospel seeing that prophecy fulfilled leads us to recall part of the celebration that started each of us on the path of faith. In our Baptismal ceremony there is a prayer called the Ephphatha. Ephphatha is from the Aramaic and it means “be open” or “open”. In sacred scripture it is the word spoken by Christ when he cured the deaf mute along the Sea of Galilee (
see Mark 7:31 ff).

The prayer used as the celebrant touches the ears and mouth of the person during the Baptismal rite bearing that name is:

“The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father. Amen”

This little rite does not deal with the blind regaining their sight but it is another part of the messianic prophecy. It too deals with a person’s ability to perceive the world and understand what is taking place. These cures become a metaphor for our entire faith journey. How can we see the wonders of the Lord if our eyes are blind to the works of his hand? How can we hear the choirs of angels singing loud hosannas if our ears are closed to the Word of God? Even if we see and hear the wonders of God’s power and glory, how can we tell others if we are mute?

The blind can see, the deaf can hear, and the mute sing the praises of God. These events do not necessarily deal with the cure of physical defects but spiritual handicaps. And the spiritual handicaps are not limited to a few, but are common, even among those who call themselves Christian.

Today, as hope once more streams from the word of God, we pray for ourselves, that the Lord will open our eyes that we might see more clearly; our ears, that we might hear his voice; and our lips that we might praise him with each utterance we make.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used today is “Healing Two Blind Men” by Alexandre Bida, 1875
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved

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