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| “Saint Francis Xavier” Artist and Date are Unknown |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
Commentary on Is 30:19-21, 23-26
This reading from Isaiah gives hope to those who are without hope, as the prophet speaks of the patience and mercy of the Father. God, says the Prophet, hears the cry of his faithful and provides for them. The tone here, using the word "Teacher," links this passage to the Gospels, where sixty-five (65) times Jesus assumes that title and admits to that role (John 13:13). The prophet foresees a time of great prosperity when the faithful hear the Lord and obey.
This reading from Isaiah gives hope to those who are without hope, as the prophet speaks of the patience and mercy of the Father. God, says the Prophet, hears the cry of his faithful and provides for them. The tone here, using the word "Teacher," links this passage to the Gospels, where sixty-five (65) times Jesus assumes that title and admits to that role (John 13:13). The prophet foresees a time of great prosperity when the faithful hear the Lord and obey.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Commentary on Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
This hymn of praise anticipates the coming of the Messiah who restores what is lost and gives hope to the poor. It is the poor upon whom he lavishes special blessings: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
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Gospel: Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
Commentary on Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
This selection emphasizes Jesus' early struggle to accomplish what he came to do by himself. We sense his humanness as he says, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few." Christ has the sense that the disciples are ready to take a more active role in proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He asks them to pray for God’s spirit and strength (“…so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest").
At the beginning of Chapter 10, St. Matthew names the twelve and calls his special friends Apostles, which means “one who is sent” (the only time in St. Matthew’s Gospel this term is used). They are then sent, but only to the “chosen people.” It is not until after Christ’s death and resurrection that the Gospel is brought to the Gentiles.
CCC: Mt 9:38 2611; Mt 10:5-7 543; Mt 10:8 1509, 2121, 2443
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Reflection:
There is an interesting paradox presented in scripture today. The reading from the Prophet Isaiah describes God’s infinite patience and mercy. He calls the faithful and offers them the fruits of his creation to give them ease. Isaiah depicts a time of idyllic peace. The image of the New Jerusalem is seen as a place where all of God’s blessings come together.
Contemplating those verses one might almost think of the final scene from the movie Forrest Gump where the main character, the mentally challenged Forrest, sees his young son off to school telling him he will be waiting for his return. He then sits down patiently to do just that. The implication is that he will sit in that spot until his son returns at the end of the day.
Psalm 147 does nothing to dispel the notion of patient waiting, basking in God’s mercy. Rather it supports Isaiah’s understanding that our Heavenly Father has intense love for those who suffer. It is they who most urgently hope for the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Next we are given St. Matthew’s Gospel in which the Lord charges his disciples to go out into the world to proclaim that “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” There is no sense of patient waiting, but rather a feeling of the need for intense preparation.
The answer to the paradox is explained, of course, by looking at the genre of the scripture. Isaiah, the great prophet, is seeing the Kingdom of God that is to come. He envisions the great and merciful God who loves his people, providing all good things for them. Jesus, although having all the gifts of prophecy, is an active force, preparing the people for the Kingdom of God, which is at hand.
Using the analogy of the farmer, Jesus sees that the seeds sown by the prophets and fed by the Law of Moses are ready for harvest. The flock they represent is ready to be shown their final destination. So he sends his friends out into that field to collect the harvest, something he would need much more time to do alone.
Now we step back and look around. We are preparing for his return as well as the celebration of the Lord’s Nativity. Are we to withdraw from the world and sit patiently waiting for the Kingdom of God that will come, like Forrest Gump? Or, are we to go into the world to assist with the harvest? The Lord’s will seems clear in this instance. He calls us, like his disciples, to be active in the world and to assist with his harvest, proclaiming the coming Kingdom by word and example. The great feast will come later.
Pax
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