It was the first Sunday of Advent, 2006. Mother was dying. Even though her final illness had been long and difficult, it was hard to accept that her time to go be with God had come. As mass began, we sang the song, “Ready the Way,” a song that captures the message of today’s first reading from Isaiah. As we sang, my heart melted and tears flowed. I realized the great truth and hope in that song and in today’s reading from Isaiah.
“Those who are blind will then see,
Those who are deaf will then hear,
Those who are lame will then leap for joy,
Those who are mute will then sing.”
Mother was 95. She had been mostly blind from macular degeneration for years. Like many elderly, she was hard of hearing. She had fallen the previous winter and broken a hip. She barely walked after that.
As we sang, the hope of Advent had a new clarity. Mother was blind, deaf, and lame. As she entered into Eternal Life, she could look forward to again being able to see, hear, and walk! True, that fully returned function of body and soul comes after the end of time when our bodies are resurrected—but, even then, as her soul left her body behind, she would be free of the limitations of her body. Loving her, I suddenly took joy in the hope of that.
The chorus of the song goes on:
Here is your God,
Coming with your vindication.
Look and behold
The saving power of God.
The Saving Power of God
Today’s Gospel reading comes from early in Jesus public ministry. He has gathered up some disciples, preached in synagogues around Galilee, and healed many sick. Today he is back “at home” in Capernaum. The scribes and Pharisees are gathered around. They are listening with curiosity and awe. Jesus is riding a wave of popularity.
Some friends carry a man on a stretcher, hoping Jesus will heal the man. But they can’t get close to Jesus. They climb up on the roof, take off some variation of shingles, and lower the man down in front of Jesus. Jesus heals the man. In the process, he disturbs the scribes and Pharisees who see Jesus as only “a fine young man.” Jesus says to the man, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”
If Jesus had not been the Son of God, that would have been blasphemy. At this point no one sees him as the Son of God. So the struggles with the religious leaders of the day begin. Jesus is not only showing the “saving power of God,” he IS the saving power of God.
In many ways, the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures come together today. The Psalm response says it well, “Our God will come to save us!” In our times, in our lives, “Our God is STILL coming to save us.” We have the end of time to look forward to. Then,
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
They will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
We Must Walk the Holy Way
Yet it is important for us to remember that this is the Kingdom of God where “kindness and truth shall meet, justice and peace shall kiss.” It is a Kingdom for those whose sins have been forgiven. Isaiah describes a highway to reach this wondrous Kingdom. He says,
A highway will be there,
called the holy way;
No one unclean may pass over it,
nor fools go astray on it.
It is important for us to let Jesus, through the Sacrament of Penance, forgive us. It is important to deliberately walk along the Holy Way highway.
In God’s Economy: We help each other.
Yet it seems to me, that as we walk the holy way, the Kingdom of God comes now, too, as we follow in Jesus footsteps. I saw an example of that on Saturday.
Maria was very happy on Saturday. Friday had been her 93rd birthday. Maria walks pretty well with a walker. She is blind and very hard of hearing. A friend had heard that Maria sees Immaculate Conception as her special day because it is so close to her birthday. She heard Maria say, “Oh I wish I could go to mass.” The friend brought Maria to church. Father gave her a special blessing after mass. I heard her telling anyone who would listen, “The Lord works in marvelous ways, his wonders to perform. I never dreamed I would get to come to mass today.”
We cannot heal like Jesus did. We cannot say, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” But we can be friends and carry people to Jesus so he can heal and forgive sins. We can take a friend to mass.
We can make the wastelands of loneliness bloom with a visit, with a smile, with a gift of a rose or bowl of soup. We can in a multitude of ways:
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense
he comes to save you.
How will God come through you today?
Prayer:
Lord, you came to me when I needed it through a song. Neither the writer of the song nor the musician who picked the music knew I needed just that song. Thank you for your care of me through them. But, Lord, I did have to go to church that Sunday morning to hear that song. Help me to remember that the way to your kingdom is a way for me to walk. Help me to follow your path. Help me to follow it today—and whether today is a day when you help and heal me through others or today is a day when I help your Kingdom come with acts of kindness or truth or justice or mercy to others, lead me and guide me, Lord. Help me see and express the Hope you give. Amen.
“Ready the Way” by Bob Hurd, copyright 1983, published by Oregon Catholic Press in Journeysongs, hymn 288.
