December 6, 2013

Friday of the First Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 179
Reading 1 IS 29:17-24

Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,

The Lord speaking to Isaiah said that in a short while Lebanon would become an orchard. It is important to remember when we hear things of this nature especially according to time, what St. Peter said:

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

and the orchard be regarded as a forest!

To continue with what God said to Isaiah though, Lebanon would be changed into a garden full of fruit trees and then into a forest.

I think that means that Lebanon will find grace in the orchard but then fall from grace in the wilderness which is what the forest symbolizes.

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.

Soon after, the coming of Jesus Christ is prophesied. That is what is symbolized by the references to the "deaf shall hear" and "blind shall see". Jesus is the one who came healing the sick.

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.

In my opinion, the prophecy now moves to the time after the resurrection and the kingdom of heaven where God shall wipe away every tear.

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.

This is a reference to the time after Jesus has come and on up to the church age to this very day. We are the children of Abraham, the redeemed, who worship the son of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 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.

God is our light because he gives us wisdom and understanding. God is our salvation because he gives us the grace to obey his words. God is our salvation because Jesus Christ became man in order to die for our sins upon the cross.

Gospel MT 9:27-31

As Jesus passed by, 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.

This is a very important example because it educates us about the sacraments.

The blind men symbolize sinners who approach Jesus Christ to wash away their sins. Our sins are washed away in baptism. Baptism is called the sacrament of enlightenment.

Jesus asks the man, "do you believe that I can do this?" This teaches us that we must approach the sacraments with complete faith in Jesus Christ. In another place, Jesus also said, "those who believe and are baptized are saved. Those who do not believe are condemned." (Mark 16:16) faith is all-important in the sacraments.

Then Jesus said, "let it be done according to your faith". This teaches us that grace is given us according to the extent of our faith. St. Paul says elsewhere:

Romans 12:3

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

And then their eyes were opened and the light flooded in and they could see. This is what happens in the sacraments, especially in baptism. The grace of God pours in and we are renewed in the Holy Spirit.

And then, Jesus commanded them to keep it to themselves. But they were so overjoyed that they cannot contain themselves. This is what is supposed to happen when we receive the sacraments. We should be so overjoyed that we go out and tell everyone the good news.