From Tuesday through Friday during the Second Weed of Avent, the First Readings are drawn from what is known as the Deutero-Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55). This segment of the Book of Isaiah is also known as the Book of Consolation or the Prophecies of Consolation, and this includes the four Servant Songs (42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). We read excerpts from the Deutero-Isaiah during the second week of Advent, because this part of the Book of Isaiah addresses Messianic hope in juxtaposition to post-exilic hope.
We read excerpts from the Deutero-Isaiah during the
second week of Advent, because this part of the Book of Isaiah addresses
Messianic hope in juxtaposition to post-exilic hope. The First Readings from
the Deutero-Isaiah for the Second Week of Advent are: Tuesday 40:1-11;
Wednesday 40:25-31; Thursday 41:13-20; Friday 48:17-19.
The First Reading of Tuesday of the Second Week of
Advent (Isaiah 40:1-11) is the opening of the consolation prophecies in a
poetic form. In this, God called Isaiah (Deutero-Isaiah) to announce His
message of consolation to His people in the Babylonian exile because He was
ready to bring them back to Jerusalem.
Though the Babylonian exile was God’s punishment to His
people in Judah for their sin (i.e. 2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Jeremiah 17:1-4), He
was ready to bring them back to Jerusalem after 70 years and to restore their
lives in full, as well as, Jerusalem (i.e. Jeremiah 29:4-14; 30:1-33-26; Baruch
4:5-9; 5:1-9). The Deutero-Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55), from which the First Readings
of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, of the Second Week of Advent (40:1-11;
40:25-31; 41:13-20; 48:17-19), reflect this poetically.
The desolation of the exile experience was not
forever. Though it was as long as 70 years, it was time to give its way to
consolation, according to God’s will for His people. Thus said God, “Comfort,
give comfort to my people”(Isaiah 40:1) to Jerusalem and those were taken
away from Jerusalem to Babylon. Then, He spoke of forgiveness of Jerusalem,
saying, “her service has ended, her guilt is expiated, and she has received
from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:2). The fact that comfort from God is as twice
greater as the sin of Jerusalem means that God’s grace outpowers our sins (i.e.
Romans 5:20-21).
Then, God indicated the coming of the Messiah (Christ),
by calling both Jerusalem and those in exile to prepare the way of his coming,
listening to John the Baptist, who was in the spirit of Elijah (Luke 1:17; cf.
Matthew 11:13-14), by way of repenting and mending hearts fit for the Messiah
(Isaiah 40:3-4). Upon the Messiah’s arrival, his glory would be revealed and
witnessed, as he would speak (Isaiah 40:5).
In connection to the arrival of the Messiah, the
mortality of the humans and the eternity of the Word of God, namely, God (John
1;1), would be proclaimed (Isaiah 40:6-8). This is a call for humility by
acknowledging human mortality, which is a result of Original Sin (i.e. Romans
5:12; 6:23).
God also called His people to go up on Mount Zion to
announce the Good News of the arrival of the Messiah, to signal the beginning
of the post-exilic new life in Jerusalem (Isaiah 40:9). And he would come with and
rules with great power, as the Lord God (Isaiah 40:10). He would also take care
of his people with intimacy like a
shepherd (Isaiah 40:11). Thus, it is written:
Like
a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them
in his bosom, leading the ewes with care (Isaiah 40:11).
After all, he is indeed the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18;
cf, Psalm 23:1-5), whom we follow on our exodus from the exile in this world of
sin to our new home in the heavenly Father’s house (John 14:2-3).
There are many whose souls have been lost in this
world of sin. Christ has come, and coming through the Holy Spirit, the Word,
and the Eucharist, any time, and will come again, to save these souls in this
world, while those who have been saved and sanctified in heaven are kept in his
heavenly fold. This is why he said when he was in the house of Zacchaeus, a tax
collector, with other tax collectors:
Today
salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of
Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost
(Luke 19:9-10).
The Gospel Reading (Mathew 18:12-14), which describes
Christ as a shepherd who goes even far to find one lost sheep, reflects that
Christ is not only the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John
10:11, 15) but also who goes far to save and bring back even one lost sheep.
For him, every one of his sheep cannot be lost. To save such lost sheep, he is
willing to lay down his life again, even after saving many (i.e. John 10:15).
It is comforting to know not only that we have been preparing for the coming of Christ who is not only to guide us on our exodus from our exile in the consequence of our sin, but also who is the Good Shepherd, committed to make sure all of his sheep are with him and in his fold, which is ultimately, his Kingdom.
Once Christ arrives, he is always with us (Matthew
28:20) as the comforter-advocate (Παράκλητος/Parakletos) (1 John 2:1) regardless
of his physical presence, because he can remain to be with us in the Holy
Spirit (i.e. John 14:18, 28), who is another comforter-advocate (ἄλλον Παράκλητον)(John
14:16). The word comfort and consolation
(נֶחָמָה/nechamah)(Isaiah 40:1) is παράκλησις/paraklesis. And it is in Christ’s
identity as Παράκλητος/Parakletos.
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