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“St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness”
by Hieronymus Bosch, 1495-1500 |
Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Isaiah 11:1-10
On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
but he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord,
as water covers the sea.
On that day, the root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
the Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
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Commentary on Is 11:1-10
Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the Messiah with the first verse: “stump of Jesse,” King David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian Exile. For the first time in Scripture, the prophet then presents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.[5] (Note also the reference to fullness. In Hebrew numerology the number seven is the perfect number.) In the Septuagint and the Vulgate, the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord.”
The description of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is followed with a list of the just and compassionate characteristics of the messianic rule. This is followed by a picture of universal peace under the Messiah’s rule. Isaiah sees the return of the messianic king as predicting that the messiah will come from King David’s line and will ultimately bring great peace. The term used, “on all my holy mountain” indicates this peace is for all the faithful, not just those in Jerusalem.
CCC: Is 11:1-9 672; Is 11:1-2 712, 1831; Is 11:2 436, 536, 1286
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Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
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Commentary on Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Psalm 72 is one of the royal psalms. In this selection, we hear an echo of the justice and peace of the king’s rule that is reiterated in Isaiah’s prophecy (see Isaiah 11:1-10). The psalm captures the essence of social justice found throughout the Old Testament (see Isaiah 1:12-17; Amos 5:14-15, 24). These themes add up to the biblical concept of shalom (peace and well-being). [6]
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Romans 15:4-9
Brothers and sisters:
Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction,
that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.
May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to think in harmony with one another,
in keeping with Christ Jesus,
that with one accord you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you,
for the glory of God.
For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised
to show God’s truthfulness,
to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,
but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written:
Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles
and sing praises to your name.
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Commentary on Rom 15:4-9
In the first paragraph of this passage, St. Paul speaks of “what was written previously." In this, the apostle was referring to v.3: "For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, 'The insults of those who insult you fall upon me,'" a paraphrase from Psalm 69, which in turn refers to messianic suffering on our behalf. Through that vision comes the hope of the faithful, and Paul’s encouragement to be unified in that common hope.
The second paragraph calls for unity among all who believe in Christ. He did not come only to fulfill the Hebrew prophecy (“the promises to the patriarchs”) but to all peoples. In the verse immediately following this selection he cites Deuteronomy 32:43 as his source.
CCC: Rom 12-15 1454, 1971; Rom 15:5-6 2627; Rom 15:5 520
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Matthew 3:1-12
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
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Commentary on Mt 3:1-12
This Gospel passage from St. Matthew introduces St. John the Baptist. The Gospel author does not, as St. Luke does in his account (Luke 3:2ff), make it clear that St. John is a relative of Jesus or say anything about his origins. The Baptist is making the preparatory statements to the people that will open the way for Jesus’ own ministry.
St. John is calling for repentance, a change of heart and conduct that will lead the faithful back to God. His attire recalls that of the prophet Elijah (who was expected to return to prepare for the final establishment of God’s Kingdom according to Hebrew tradition - Malachi 3:23-24 [7]). We are told that he (John the Baptist) is the one predicted by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 40:3.
The Baptist has harsh words for the Pharisees and Sadducees who had apparently come to his ritual bath with an attitude that they did not need to repent since they are already keeping Mosaic Law scrupulously. The Baptist tells them that, while they may keep the Law, there is no conversion of heart and God will see that.
The passage concludes with St. John’s prediction of the coming of the Messiah who will “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” This final reference to judgment uses the image of the harvest, where chaff is separated from grain by throwing both into the air and letting the heavier grain fall back to the ground, while the useless chaff is blown away and later collected and burned.
CCC: Mt 3:3 523; Mt 3:7-12 678; Mt 3:7 535
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Reflection:
I am not going to complain about the weather we have had so far this year. But if the snow we received earlier was still on the ground, we would probably be more mentally prepared for the thought that we will celebrate the Nativity of the Lord in just three weeks. Scripture gives us fair warning.
St. Matthew’s Gospel introduces us to what many scholars have called “The Last Prophet,” St. John the Baptist. St. John’s coming was an important event for the original audience of St. Matthew who were primarily Christians that had converted from Judaism. Not only does St. John come fulfilling the prediction of the great prophet Isaiah as the “one crying out in the desert” Isaiah 40:3, but he comes in that eccentric style and manner: “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”
To us that may seem like simply adding color to this charismatic preacher. But to St. Matthew’s readers, those who first read his Gospel, the Baptist’s eccentricity had another meaning. There was a much earlier prophet similarly described, Elijah, whose exploits and calls for repentance are recorded in the Books of Kings. The prophet Micah famously predicted that before the Messiah would come, Elijah would return (Micah 3:23-24). St. John, in style, mannerisms, and message, fulfills the essence of this prediction. So when the Last Prophet calls out that: “one is coming, whose sandals he is not worthy to tie,” and that person turns out to be Jesus, the Hebrew prerequisites are satisfied, the Messiah has come.
So, where we see St. John as this colorful figure announcing the Lord’s coming, the early Christians would have been whispering among themselves as they listened to these words: “It is the prophecy! Elijah has returned! The Kingdom of God is at hand!”
They too would have been thinking about the words of Isaiah that were proclaimed in our first reading. They would have wondered about where and how this Messiah would appear. We all heard the prediction: “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” The “Jesse” to whom the prophet Isaiah is referring is the father of King David. In the first chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel the Evangelist records a genealogy of Jesus. (That’s the selection all of us who proclaim the Gospel kind of dread because some of the names of Jesus’ ancestors are really tough to pronounce). In the 5th and 6th verses of that first chapter, this is recorded: “Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.” (Matthew 1:5-6) The stump of Jesse is the line of King David that was cut off when Babylon invaded and conquered Israel.
The bud that blossoms actually blossoms into a rose, for it is not only St. Joseph who comes from the line of Jesse but his bride, Holy Mother Mary as well. From her sprouts the flower that brings us salvation. We can only imagine the wonder of those early Christians as they realized God’s marvelous gift of salvation and how, at every turn, the prophetic words of the Scriptures were fulfilled in Christ.
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[At the Rite of Acceptance]
For those present who have been accepted into the Order of Catechumens, St. John the Baptist’s call to repentance is especially apt. It is a call you have all heard and responded to. You would not be here with us if you had not acted upon the God-given impulse to follow your hearts to Christ.
We who have been on this path for most of our lives envy you these early stages of the journey you are undertaking. You will see with adult eyes the plan God was pleased to decree in Christ’s coming. You will see for the first time, as your studies progress, how so many of God’s prophets predicted the coming of Jesus and how the Law of Moses, laid out in the first five books of the Holy Bible, are fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus. This first revelation is just a part of our Advent season’s message: the coming Nativity of Jesus, born of a virgin (as predicted), born in Bethlehem (as predicted), and born under a star (predicted and guiding the Three Kings). All of this and more you will see clearly for the first time and be amazed and humbled.
Most importantly, you will also come to understand that the promise of Jesus, the Christ to come, again for the salvation of all of us, is what we are also celebrating. Because no one knows the time of his promised return, we are in a constant state of getting ready. That means we are doing all we can to grow in holiness, continually striving to be like Jesus in what we do and how we behave with all those we meet, even those who hate us. Advent is a time when we express our joy to the world at God’s promise through special prayers, celebrations, and especially our generosity to those in need.
We really do envy you the wonder and joy of discovering your call to faith and seeing how much God loves you.
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In this, our Advent season, it is time for all of us to be re-energized by the recollection of prophecy fulfilled. It is our turn to marvel that the words of Isaiah and Micah, who lived seven hundred years before the Lord, and the even older chroniclers of the Books of Kings, are fulfilled.
Today we can reflect once more upon the wisdom of St. Augustine who states in his principles for understanding Scripture “The New Testament is concealed in the Old, and the Old is revealed in the New.” We see in Sacred Scripture Isaiah predicting the advent of the Lord, and in St. John the Baptist, we see Elijah return. It is our turn to be amazed at God’s plan unfolding before us, and reflect also on the part we may be called to play as we continue to strive to fulfill our own roles in God’s Kingdom on earth.
We must, however, take a close look at the Voice, as St. John is often called. He passionately calls the world to conversion. That word “conversion” is one that gives us some trouble. We say “trouble” because when we hear that we are called to conversion we generally think: “Well gee, I’m already converted. I believe in God and Jesus. Conversion is for those people who don’t believe.”
Not true! Conversion is not like an “Altar Call” in some tent revival meeting. It is not the “Once saved, always saved” idea held by some Christian denominations.
Conversion is an intensely personal and ongoing commitment to pattern our lives around Jesus Christ and his teachings, to be his disciples in a real and visible way. It is not some vague idea that: “I’m a good person.” It is a daily decision to try to be like Jesus in what we say, do and think. This is the call to conversion to which St. John refers. That is why he took the Scribes and Pharisees to task.
As we continue our Advent preparation, waiting for the Lord, may we be reminded that, when he comes, he will see if we have made that very individual and personal decision to follow him. If we have done so, the great reward promised by the Father will be ours.
Pax
In other years on December 7th: Memorial for Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor
[1] Catechism links are taken from the
Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used is “
St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness” by Hieronymus Bosch, 1495-1500.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1831 “The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
[6] The Word Biblical Commentary, Psalms 1-50, Volume 19 (Thomas Nelson, Inc. © 2004), 225.
[7] Note in many older Bible translations, taken from the Latin Vulgate, this citation is Malachi 4:1-5. In the original Hebrew and in the Septuagint there were three (3) chapters. In the Latin Vulgate, there were 4. The break point was at 3:19.
