Word to the Wise
Monday, December 3, 2018 - 1st Week of Advent - Mon
[Isa 2:1-5 (or, in Year A, Isa 4:2-6) and Matt 8:5-11]MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018 ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, SJ [Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 8:5-11] In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many. Peoples shall come and say: “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob....” [Isaiah] “I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew] The season of Advent presents us with the majestic visions of Isaiah, the prophet. We read one of those visions today. We also see how the early Christian community in the person of the evangelist Matthew shows Jesus echoing the universal vision of salvation that Isaiah saw. The Gospel According to Matthew takes great pains to show how Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament). These scriptures challenge us to stretch our vision wide and place ourselves in a greater history of God’s dealings with creation. In the “fullness of time” God would become human in the person of Jesus Christ, whose life and ministry we celebrate every day in scripture and sacrament. We are also challenged to reach out in faith to many different kinds of people from many traditions and invite them to join us in that great stream toward the mountain of the Lord. The centurion in today’s gospel is an example. The cares and difficulties of this time of year can weigh us down and keep us from enjoying the broader vision, but the effort to rise above those difficulties can be very rewarding. Small things can help, such as an Advent wreath or a “giving tree” or a simple prayer together in family. We can all respond to Isaiah’s plea: “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” AMEN