Readings: Isaiah 29:17-24; Psalm 27; Matthew 9:27-31
Advent is the pre-Christmas Season that celebrates as “waiting in hope” for the coming of the Lord into the world and into our lives. We can rightly talk about 3 separate “comings”: a coming which has already happened in time and in history; a coming that is happening now; and a coming that we wait for, a longing to see the fullness of the kingdom when all creation finally becomes what God means it to be in Christ.
Today’s reading from Isaiah speaks of a God who comes not to condemn but to render justice in a very radical way – “On that day the deaf shall hear the words of the scroll … the eyes of the blind shall see … the meek shall obtain fresh joy, the neediest shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.” The justice of God is mercy that heals in the most complete way: He sets all things right! He comes to make us the people that He wanted us to be from the beginning when He called us to be His own.
Setting the Gospel next to the first reading strongly suggests that Jesus is God, that God actually has come: “Do you believe that I am able to so this?” … “According to your faith, let it be done to you.” This is the healing power of God in Christ curing the blind men. God has been among us and, for us believers, He is still visible in His work to heal our broken, bleeding world.
Let us pray from our hearts, (and hear the call to change our hearts) from our deepest yearnings, and pray that our God come in visible power to complete His work day by day. Let us pray especially that He complete that work in each of us so that we may join our brothers and sisters in living the godly life He calls us to right now, that is, in radical imitation of Jesus, “the Lord (who) is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27) as He continues to bring His kingdom to completion in all of creation.