Monday, December 20, 2021
Joy and Isaiah
Hope
“The office of prophet was due to a direct call from God. It was not the result of heredity, just as it was not a permanent gift but a transient one, subject entirely to the divine will”. (Senior 877) Today joy surprises us from the depths of despair as a people lifts hope high . . . waiting for the coming of the Messiah.
In the 8th Century B.C.E. the nations of Israel and Judah are threatened and then overcome by the Assyrians to the north and the Egyptians to the south. The prophecy of Isaiah, thought to be the combined work of several men, takes us on the rollercoaster ride of political, social and moral upheaval the faithful of Yahweh experience. But despite the dreadful events and circumstances that surround the faithful and strip away all they hold dear, the words of this prophecy bring hope.
Isaiah 24:14: They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for joy in the majesty of the Lord, they shall shout from the western sea.
In a moment when we have no words, we allow the Spirit to give voice to our hope.
Isaiah 35:6: The lame shall leap like a stag, and the mute tongue sing for joy.
On a day when we find ourselves unwell or incapacitated, we allow Christ to heal our illness.
Isaiah 55:12: Yes, in joy you shall go forth, in peace you shall be brought home; mountains and hills shall break out in song before you, all trees of the field shall clap their hands.
In an hour when we see no reason to hope, we allow God to transform our fear.
Isaiah 65:18: Shout for joy and be glad forever in what I, the Lord, am creating.
If this week’s Noontimes call you to search for more ways to encounter Joy or urge you to investigate the New Testament, click on the word Joy in the categories cloud in the blog’s right hand sidebar and choose a reflection, or enter those words in the blog search bar.
Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990. 877-879. Print.
Image from: https://advent.wordpress.com/
The Noontimes 