Readings for Monday of the Second Week of Advent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Isaiah 35:1-10
This selection is a prophetic vision of the restoration of Israel following the exile. It is also seen as a vision of the land redeemed by the coming Messiah. Those who are most afflicted (the blind, the deaf, the lame, the mute) will be the first to experience the saving grace of God. Placed on the same day with St. Luke’s Gospel below, we see it as the prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. Our God will come to save us!
Psalm 85 is a lament, begging for forgiveness and grace. This passage expresses the hope that God will be active in His support of the faithful.
Gospel Luke 5:17-26
Here, St. Luke’s Gospel begins a series of controversies between Jesus and the Pharisees. In this story, also captured in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, the paralytic is lowered through the roof (interestingly, the roof material varies according to the audience of the particular Gospel) to be near the Jesus. The Lord’s first comments are “Your sins are forgiven.” This starts the Pharisees talking since only God may forgive sins.
The Lord, in response demonstrates his authority over sin in the eyes of the early Palestinians who believed that physical affliction was a punishment from God for the sins of the person or their ancestors. By healing the paralytic, Jesus demonstrates his compassion for the poor, his authority to forgive sins, and fulfills the prophetic vision of the Hebrew Prophets.
Reflection:
Our Advent journey continues with Holy Scripture once more providing examples of prophetic visions fulfilled by Jesus. Today we are given the vision of the Prophet Isaiah who sees the coming of God’s salvation as a time of renewal. That which is barren will be infused with life. The grace of God will be obvious as all things are made anew. Then his remarkable sight gives some specific details that are full of hope, yet beyond understanding; the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, and the mute speak. The prophet opens the door of hope for the poor who anticipate the coming of God’s Kingdom with great enthusiasm.
When the Lord came, walking through Galilee with his friends, this idyllic vision of Isaiah’s seemed about to come true in total. Here was the Son of God whose word caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear. Evil fled before him and, for the people of his time, he did what only God could do; he forgave sins! This was not like the prophets. Even John the Baptist called to them to repent from their sins. This man spoke softly saying; “Your sins are forgiven.” As proof that this was true, the punishment visited upon those who had either sinned themselves or whose parents had sinned mightily had their punishment removed – the lame waked. Was this a time of fulfillment? Could it be that God’s Kingdom was at hand? The carpenter’s son said so.
We can understand their amazement and anticipation. We too wait for the day when the rest of Isaiah’s vision is accomplished. We have the benefit of knowing that part of Christ’s mission was transforming the world with God’s message of love. We know this because we are, with the Church, charged with working for that transformation. The time has not yet come for lion to lay down with lamb. But we are working to make it so in this life. We redouble our efforts as we are once more reminded that the Savior has promised to return and will call us to account for what we have done with the gifts given to us.
Today we recall the image provided by Isaiah of the Kingdom of God where all things are made new. We see how Christ, our Savior and Lord, came to fulfill the prophecy when he took the form of man and waked the earth. We thank God for the revelation of his love at the incarnation of our Savior (it is the reason for the season, as they say), and we look forward with eagerness for the full expression of his love as he comes again in Glory.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used is “Healing of the Lame Man” by Sanzio Raffaello, 1515-16
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Isaiah 35:1-10
This selection is a prophetic vision of the restoration of Israel following the exile. It is also seen as a vision of the land redeemed by the coming Messiah. Those who are most afflicted (the blind, the deaf, the lame, the mute) will be the first to experience the saving grace of God. Placed on the same day with St. Luke’s Gospel below, we see it as the prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. Our God will come to save us!
Psalm 85 is a lament, begging for forgiveness and grace. This passage expresses the hope that God will be active in His support of the faithful.
Gospel Luke 5:17-26
Here, St. Luke’s Gospel begins a series of controversies between Jesus and the Pharisees. In this story, also captured in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, the paralytic is lowered through the roof (interestingly, the roof material varies according to the audience of the particular Gospel) to be near the Jesus. The Lord’s first comments are “Your sins are forgiven.” This starts the Pharisees talking since only God may forgive sins.
The Lord, in response demonstrates his authority over sin in the eyes of the early Palestinians who believed that physical affliction was a punishment from God for the sins of the person or their ancestors. By healing the paralytic, Jesus demonstrates his compassion for the poor, his authority to forgive sins, and fulfills the prophetic vision of the Hebrew Prophets.
Reflection:
Our Advent journey continues with Holy Scripture once more providing examples of prophetic visions fulfilled by Jesus. Today we are given the vision of the Prophet Isaiah who sees the coming of God’s salvation as a time of renewal. That which is barren will be infused with life. The grace of God will be obvious as all things are made anew. Then his remarkable sight gives some specific details that are full of hope, yet beyond understanding; the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, and the mute speak. The prophet opens the door of hope for the poor who anticipate the coming of God’s Kingdom with great enthusiasm.
When the Lord came, walking through Galilee with his friends, this idyllic vision of Isaiah’s seemed about to come true in total. Here was the Son of God whose word caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear. Evil fled before him and, for the people of his time, he did what only God could do; he forgave sins! This was not like the prophets. Even John the Baptist called to them to repent from their sins. This man spoke softly saying; “Your sins are forgiven.” As proof that this was true, the punishment visited upon those who had either sinned themselves or whose parents had sinned mightily had their punishment removed – the lame waked. Was this a time of fulfillment? Could it be that God’s Kingdom was at hand? The carpenter’s son said so.
We can understand their amazement and anticipation. We too wait for the day when the rest of Isaiah’s vision is accomplished. We have the benefit of knowing that part of Christ’s mission was transforming the world with God’s message of love. We know this because we are, with the Church, charged with working for that transformation. The time has not yet come for lion to lay down with lamb. But we are working to make it so in this life. We redouble our efforts as we are once more reminded that the Savior has promised to return and will call us to account for what we have done with the gifts given to us.
Today we recall the image provided by Isaiah of the Kingdom of God where all things are made new. We see how Christ, our Savior and Lord, came to fulfill the prophecy when he took the form of man and waked the earth. We thank God for the revelation of his love at the incarnation of our Savior (it is the reason for the season, as they say), and we look forward with eagerness for the full expression of his love as he comes again in Glory.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used is “Healing of the Lame Man” by Sanzio Raffaello, 1515-16
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