Roc Homily – 3rd Sunday Advent Cycle A 2016 (audio file+)

Jesus told the disciples of the Baptizer, “Tell John what you see and hear – the blind see…”

From yesterday’s post, it would seem that his mission was to the Pharisees and those of us like them.  Since fulfillment of prophecy is big in Matthew’s gospel, notice especially the first from Isaiah: those who are blind create idols; the blind shall receive instruction.  My, my, my!

Isaiah 29:16–19ff (NRSV) — 16 You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay? Shall the thing made say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of the one who formed it, “He has no understanding”? 17 Shall not Lebanon in a very little while become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be regarded as a forest? 18 On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. 19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the neediest people shall exult in the Holy One of Israel… Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction.

And here, Isaiah’s description of the blind connects us to our lack of justice and righteousness as well as our world of mourning in perpetual gloom.  Might this refer also to Advent waiting???

Isaiah 59:9–11 (NRSV) — 9 Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us; we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness; and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. 10 We grope like the blind along a wall, groping like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among the vigorous as though we were dead. 11 We all growl like bears; like doves we moan mournfully. We wait for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us…

Audio file. Blessings! –roc,sj