Throughout the Old Testament, Israel
is compared to an unfaithful bride who has broken her marriage covenant with
God her husband. Israel had committed spiritual adultery over and over, turning
to false Gods and to the immoral practices of the pagan nations. Because of her
spiritual unfaithfulness, the prophets say that she will be spiritually barren.
She will not bear the life within her that God wants for his bride.
This spiritual barrenness occurs when
any of us turn away from God in sin. Selfishness, pride, lust, greed, gossip,
hate…these things do not give us life, in fact, they take it from us. When
selfishness rules our life, we fail to spread the peace of God’s kingdom as we
should—we become barren.
The reading from Isaiah today comes
from the last section of his book, called the book of consolation, in which Isaiah
speaks of the restoration of Israel—the new life Israel will experience when the
Messiah ushers in the eternal kingdom. Isaiah compares the joy of the new kingdom
to a once barren wife who will beget numerous children. The family will need to
expand their tents, there will be so many children.
Isaiah foretells both the eschatological,
the coming of the kingdom at the end of time. When the Messiah comes and the
end of time, the eternal kingdom will be a place of unspeakable joy—joy which
comes from a union with God we have never experienced.
But, we Christians know, that the
kingdom has already begun. Isaiah also foretold the time of the Church. The
ecclesiological sense of this reading, foretells of the numerous children of
Christ’s Church, the spiritual fruit and life born by Christians who believe in
Christ, who receive his Sacraments, who practice his teachings, and perform the
acts of mercy.
How would you rate your own spiritual
life right now? Barren or fruitful? If it is fruitful, thanks be to God; perhaps
there are new spiritual fruits he wishes to bring forth through you this Advent
and this Christmas. If you are barren: if you are not bearing the fruits of gentleness,
joy, self-control, peace, and kindness…if you are barren of these things, what
needs to change? Likely, what is needed is repentance, deeper prayer, and more
frequent charity.
New life is possible because in our
barrenness we were not abandoned by God; God speaks the words from Isaiah
today, “My love shall never leave you”
even to the most hardened sinner. New life is possible through repentance,
through faith, turning away from loving the things of the world, in order to
love the things of God.
May the Lord bring
about inner transformation in each of us, that we may bear new life, new fruit
for the building up of the kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of
souls.
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