Tuesday of the
First Week of Advent
(Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 10:21-24)
Count on the holy seasons of Advent and Lent to get to
the heart of Divine Revelation. For the
most part during the rest of the year the Scripture readings at daily mass
follow episodic sequences. The gospels recount
the story of Jesus in first in Mark, then in Matthew, and finally in Luke. John is reserved for Eastertime. Meanwhile the first reading is taken from an
Old Testament or New Testament work, read in daily installments which summarize
the work as a whole. In Lent and Easter,
however, the link between the first reading and the gospel is manifest.
Today’s gospel, for example, hints at how Jesus fulfills
the heart-felt prophecies of early Isaiah.
The people of the prophet’s time longed for a strong leader who would rule
justly. They wanted to see the poor
prosper without be pampered. They hoped
that the natural enmities among classes, nationalities, and races would
cease. Jesus recognizes in himself such
potential being realized. He will bestow
manifold blessings upon those who obey his commands. The poor especially are
positioned to follow him.
We hear while shopping in Wal-Mart how this is “the most
wonderful time of the year.” It is but
not because of mistletoe or tree lights.
It becomes wonderful when we contemplate how the yearnings of the human
heart are fulfilled in Jesus.
