“Welcome one another,” Saint Paul commands us, “as Christ welcomed you.” Indeed, the Lord welcomes us here each Sunday as we gather together to celebrate the Eucharist. But let us not forget the first part, that we are also called to welcome one another. Moreover, as Paul welcomed Gentiles, and the wolf became a guest of the lamb, we are called to welcome those who are not like us: those coming from other cultures, speaking other languages, or expressing other viewpoints. Let us welcome all to this celebration.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
“Prepare the way of the Lord,” Isaiah cries through John the Baptist’s words, and we continue to heed that call today. Before we hear John quote him, we hear Isaiah himself, longing for the day when the LORD’s chosen one would arrive, and justice and harmony would blossom. Let us prepare a place in our hearts and in our homes for the Lord, so that we may sing, like the psalmist, of a new day of justice and peace for one and all.
Reflections
The wolf does not become the lamb, nor the lamb the wolf. In Isaiah’s vision, animals that are natural enemies are able to get along, not by ceasing to be what they are, but by changing their behavior. Note the lion eating hay, embracing a vegetarian diet in order to coexist with the ox. Also note that in each pairing, one is gentle and often young: a lamb, a calf, a baby. Possibly the presence of such a harmless creature on God’s holy mountain tames the fierce one. We are called to be the peaceful ones, finding ways to reduce tension and reconcile with those with whom we’ve failed to get along.
John the Baptist is the first to refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God, though that comes only after he sees him, not in today’s Gospel. Jesus, the Lamb, is put to death after a threatening crowd, like a pack of ravenous wolves, demands that he be killed. Isaiah’s vision of the world after the Son of David, the root of Jesse, arrived was not realized. The world carried on with its injustices, its poverty, and its aggression. And it still does. Yet, the vision of God’s peaceable kingdom sustains our hope. John’s first words provide a path: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). To reach that kingdom, where all will live in harmony, we need to repent. All of us are called to be sorry and atone for our sins. And it begins with me
The qualities of the spirit of the Lord that Isaiah lists at the beginning of this passage may sound familiar, for they are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which were bestowed on us all at confirmation. The Holy Spirit enables us to continue the work of the Lord when we make the effort to use those gifts for the benefit of each other. In doing so, we produce good fruit (as John the Baptist calls us to do) and harmonize with one other (as Paul tells the Romans).
Question of the Week
Of what do I need to repent and how can my repentance produce good fruit?
-from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
LISTEN HEREto the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, December 4, 2022
SELECT HEREfor the Readings of Sunday, December 4, 2022
Offerings
The Sunday offerings are a portion of our blessings that we give to God (Church) in gratitude to what God has done for us...ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS
