Reading 1
Is 40:1-11
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
The rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
A voice says, “Cry out!”
I answer, “What shall I cry out?”
“All flesh is grass,
and all their glory like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever.”
Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
Ps 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13
Responsorial PsalmR.
(see Isaiah 40:10ab)
The Lord our God comes with power.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Gospel
Mt 18:12-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
“What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
Meditation: Isaiah 40:1-11
“Like a shepherd he feeds his flock.” (Isaiah 40:1-11)
How do you imagine Jesus would look as the “good shepherd” of his flock? We’ve all seen paintings of a sweet, slightly effeminate Jesus cuddling a defenseless lamb. Today’s passage from Isaiah, too, depicts the shepherd as tender and solicitous. “In his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom” (Isaiah 40:11). Who wouldn’t want to be comforted by such a shepherd?
However, the prophet is also aware that the term “shepherds” refers to the kings appointed to rule God’s people. God has no patience with weak, vacillating leaders who quake before their enemies and hasten to make ill-fated military alliances instead of trusting God. His ideal shepherd “comes with power” and “rules by his strong arm” (Isaiah 40:10). Like David, the shepherd-king, he fearlessly braves danger to defend the flock against predators, especially the spiritual threats posed by the devil, our own fallen nature, or the darkened philosophies in the world.
Our Shepherd doesn’t wait anxiously for straying sheep to return. Rather, he arms himself and sets out in search of them, overcoming every obstacle to rescue them and bring them home. Sometimes his kindness feels like discipline as he cuts the lamb loose, dresses its wounds and curbs its propensity to wander. But it is still the kindest thing he could ever do for us.
Jesus, our Good Shepherd, knows us (John 10:14; 2 Timothy 2:19). He feeds us (John 6:35; Psalm 23:1-2). He guides us (John 10:3-4; Psalm 23:3). He cherishes us and loves us (Isaiah 40:1; Ephesians 5:25-29). He protects and preserves us (Jeremiah 31:10; John 10:28-29). Take some time today to pray over these passages. Try to memorize them and make them your own. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the depth and breadth of love that Jesus has for you. Nothing could be more exciting—and more comforting—than knowing that Jesus has you in the palm of his hand!
“Jesus, thank you for seeking me when I stray from the path. Teach me how to shepherd those you have entrusted to my care.”
No comments:
Post a Comment