Readings: Isaiah 11, 1-10 (a beauty); Psalm 72, Justice shall Flourish in His Time, and Fulness of Peace Forever; Romans 15, 4-9; Matthew 3, 1-12.
Isaiah 11 observations:
Author: Isaiah 1. Remember, 3 primary authors are responsible for the 66 chapters. Isaiah 1 covers chapters 1-39. This book is one of the Big 3 O.T. prophets, along with Jeremiah and Ezekiel. This is because the works are the longest. There are 12 minor prophets.
Time: ca. 700, before the Assyrians annihilate the northern Jewish kingdom, called Israel, vs the southern kingdom called Judah, where Jerusalem is. 10 tribes were lost in this destruction, the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel.
Remember there were 12 tribes. Why? Because of the 12 sons of Jacob, who was one of the 3 great patriarchs or founders of the tribe, Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, who was also called Israel.
Message of Isaiah 1: condemnation of the corruption of the ruling class & oppression of the poor. Because of this, destruction is coming. He foresaw the coming of the Assyrians, not a difficult thing to do. The profile of the prophet was usually 1. criticism, 2. prediction of dire payment, 3. consolation.
Today’s message: consolation. Two parts. In part one, a special person will come. And because of him, part two, watch what will happen. A dream most touching.
Advent Wreaths: This little liturgical practice came to the Catholic liturgy, believe it or not, from the German Lutherans in the 1500's, the time of Martin Luther. It was more than just decoration. The circle symbolized eternity. The greens Christian life in a dead time of the year. The candles represent each of the 4 weeks of Advent, each candle symbolizing the greater light brought by Christ. Their color purple symbolized penance and purification for the Coming. The Rose candle says, 'We are almost there!'
Beautiful Dreams Can Happen
The Isaiah reading this morning has special meaning for me in two ways.
First of all, the beauty of the writer’s dream touches me. He dreams that the world will have such peace and harmony that even the animals will live without fear of each other. Wow.
Secondly, I have a story connected with the dream. It happened in Toronto the Advent at the end of the year I was ordained, 1971.
The Jesuits have a theology college in Toronto and I spent four years there, ’68-’72. The fall of my second year a class of about 35 guys entered from all over. Among them was a Jesuit brother.
Brothers were Jesuits, members of the fraternity, but they focused on living religious life in a community with its 3 vows of poverty, chastity, & obedience. They did not feel a call to be priests. They worked in all sorts of occupations, treasurer, house administrator, grounds keepers, you name it.
The Jesuit brother who entered that fall had been a brother for a half a dozen years & now wanted to become a priest. Trouble was he was blind. His name was Larry.
Larry had not come to this idea solely on his own. Many people had encouraged him. For some years he had worked & taught at a Wisconsin Jesuit boarding high school called Prairie du Chien, now closed unfortunately. Here the idea really grew.
He went to the Wisconsin Jesuit provincial and he agreed to see what could be done. The provincial went to Rome to get permission for a blind person to be ordained. Rome said, “No, and don’t bother to ask again.”
So the provincial sent Larry to Toronto to do the normal theology studies leading up to priesthood. Just to see how he would make out.
He made out splendidly. In fact, we all pitched in to help him. We recorded classes, we read to him, we recorded assigned readings, and we studied with him. I, in fact, lived next door to him on the third floor.
The end of the first year came and the provincial returned to Rome to ask again. Rome said, “No, and don’t ask again.”
The end of Larry’s third year the provincial asked again. This time Rome said, “He may be ordained a deacon.” Folks, the excitement and gratitude in our house was tactile. You could feel it, touch it. We knew that once a deacon, he could easily move to priesthood.
Larry was now in his 3rd year and it was in Advent of the 3rd year when the men were ordained deacons, the priesthood coming in the following spring.
It was the second Sunday of Advent, cycle A like this year, in the college chapel full, about 35 guys getting ordained deacons preliminary to being ordained priests 6 month later. The reading was Isaiah 11. In Braille Larry read Isaiah’s dream. There was not a dry eye, not a sound but Larry’s voice.
Today Larry Gillick is ordained and works as part of a team working out of St. Louis U.
Beautiful dreams can happen. We can influence their happening. How?
Picture 1: Hunter lighting the candles
Picture 2: Mass begins
Picture 3: Mary & Frank with the offertory
Picture 4: C C at the donut shoppe
