Homily: Monday of the 1st Week of Advent - Isaiah, the Prophet of Advent

Isaiah 4:2-6 View Readings

Psalm 122:1-9

Matthew 8:5-11

Throughout the season of Advent we will read extensively from the book of the prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah speaks about many of the same themes as Jesus: the need for repentance, salvation, mercy, judgment, justice, and the need for faith.

Yet, about 700 years before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah proclaimed the coming of the promised Messiah in great detail and in some of the most beautiful prose in the entire Old Testament of the Bible. 

Isaiah guides our journey through Advent in our preparation for Christmas, inviting us to look forward to the coming of the Messiah.

And Isaiah tells us today that when the Messiah comes, “The Lord will wash away filth, he will create a new assembly of faithful holy people.”  Over the next few days, Isaiah will continue these prophecies of God restoring, and making new, and cleansing and healing and protecting, bringing an end to strife and division, and ushering in an era of peace.

Through Isaiah, God promises to bring peace to the world and justice for all peoples. God’s is the peace we all long for, the healing we all long for, the fullness of life that we know deep down we are meant for—the life of holiness in communion with God and with one another.

The Gospel passage for this first week day of Advent shows Jesus to be the fulfillment of God’s promise of healing.  A paralyzed, dreadfully suffering man is healed at Jesus’ word. Jesus is the one who heals and brings justice for the oppressed and freedom to captives.  He is long waited for Messiah.

We pray during this Advent season that we will come to recognize Jesus as Messiah in a deeper way, that we will allow him to cure our paralyses, and bring conversion to those parts of us which are set in opposition to God, free us from our captivities, wash away our filth, and strengthen our communion with God and the Church. 

We pray too that we may be God’s instruments in the world this Advent, that we can bring others to recognize Jesus as savior, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.