Author Archives: Friar Musings

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About Friar Musings

Franciscan friar and Catholic priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle, VA

For whom the Word came

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The opening of our 2nd Advent gospel passage is a list of whos-who for the time: emperors, governors, kings, and even the high priest of the Jerusalem Temple: In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.

But to none of those did the Word of God come. Continue reading →

Transformed

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The enemies are on the horizon. Judah is in a time of darkness or uncertainty, waiting for a light to show there is a better future coming. Today’s first reading is from Isaiah 29:17-24. Beginning with the first verse the reading lets us know that something new and transforming is afoot. 

To the north, Lebanon is known for its extensive forests and cedar trees – even today the nation’s flag shows forth the mighty cedar.  So, what is with the mention of forest lands becoming orchards? In order to have orchards promised, the forest has to be cut down. Isaiah has used the imagery of such clearing before as a symbol of humiliation (2:13; 10:34; 37:24). This is the way of Isaiah telling Judah of the coming reversal in the positions of the noble/privileges and the common person.

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The Call of the Prophet

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4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 5 Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

Luke casts the call of John the Baptist in the form of an Old Testament prophetic call with reference to the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3-5). Continue reading →

The City

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In today’s reading from Isaiah 26:1-6. It is important to recall that in yesterday’s selection the prophet began with the image of a banquet: “On this mountain, the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines.” (Is 25:6). Isaiah chapters 24 and 25 focus on the Lord’s victory and the feast which follows. The following chapters (26 and 27) reflect in a somewhat more solemn vein upon the meaning of this victory for Judah.

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Mission of the Baptist: Repentance

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“He went throughout (the) whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3)

The basic meaning of the verb baptizo is “to wash,” which is how it is translated in Luke 11:38 (re: ritual washing before meals). The word often also carries, in context, ritual or purifying aspects to the washing. This image is used by Luke in Acts 22:16: “Get up, and have yourself baptized (baptisai) and your sins washed away (apolouo), calling on his name.” When one surveys the reports in the Gospels concerning John’s baptism (Mark 1:2–6), the origin and significance of which was debated (Matt 21:25; Mark 11:30; Luke 20:4), one notices: Continue reading →

The Banquet

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In today’s reading from Isaiah 25:6-10, the prophet begins with the image of a banquet: “On this mountain, the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines.” This is not a night out at the Ponderosa; it is more than mean. It is the banquet symbolizing God’s desire to gather His people – all people – into communion with Him. It is a vision of abundance, joy, and unity. In a world often marked by scarcity and division, this image reassures us of God’s boundless generosity and the inclusivity of His Kingdom. All are invited—there is no one excluded from His loving embrace.

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The Word of God

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This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday in Advent. Just as in so many instances in the Old Testament, the gravity of the moment is captured, as it is here in Luke, with the direct proclamation: “…the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.” The phrase serves to call to the fore the expression in 3:2, “the word of God came.” At the beginning of the public ministry Luke ensures we are clear regarding his core and central focus: the action and desire of God in the world. In this he echoes the proclamation from the prophet Isaiah: “So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me empty, but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which I sent it.” (Is 55:11)  What God has promised, He will achieve in his Son, Jesus. Continue reading →

Peasants and Royalty

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The entire first reading (Isa 11:1-10) gives us a prophetic vision of the coming Messiah, a figure who will bring justice, peace, and harmony to all creation.  Today’s first reading also offers two quite famous verses we have all encountered:

“But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Isaiah 11:1)

“The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat..” (Isaiah 11:6)

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The Story: Location in History

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1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.

The chronological data of these verses reflects the conventions of Greco-Roman historiography as well as a pattern found in some Jewish prophetic books (Jer 1:1-3; Ezek 1:1-3; Hos 1:1; Isa 1:1). Luke seeks to place his “orderly account” (Lk 1:1) within the context of “world” history. In addition, this writing, addressed to “Most Excellent Theophilus” (Lk 1:3), places the events within the context of the rulers and times (and some historiographic forms) that Theophilus would know. It is likely that he was some type of Roman official. Continue reading →

Isaiah’s Promise and Challenge

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The first readings for these beginning days of Advent are all taken from the Book of Isaiah. It is a complex book in many ways and it is one of the most cited books of the Old Testament by New Testament writers indicating the importance and esteem it holds in the scriptural imagination. You can read a short introduction to the book here.

Today the first reading is taken from Isaiah 2:1-5, whose opening is duplicated almost exactly in Micah 4:1–3. Like Isaiah, Micah was an eighth-century prophet of the southern kingdom. Both prophets held Mount Zion to be a sacred mountain, the center of the earth, and important for the whole world  – the same sentiment expressed in Psalms 46–48.

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