We hear from the prophet Isaiah in our first readings this week. When I think of Advent I always think of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, whose prophecies foretell the coming of the Messiah. Yesterday, we hear of a shoot that will spring from the stump of Jesse, foretelling of Jesus’ family tree from which the chosen one would come. This connects to the devotion of the Jesse tree that we have as a Catholic tradition during Advent. Today, we hear the familiar reading from Isaiah of a great banquet that God has prepared for us. We often have this reading from Isaiah at Catholic funerals. This reading is a good juxtaposition to yesterday reading which references to Jesse’s family tree and Jesus coming into the world, which the reading today is more about Jesus’ second coming at the end times. Notice that the reading says that the banquet will provide for “all peoples,” not just Israel, God’s chosen people. God calls every person to experience his love and share in his eternal presence. Think of the droughts, floods, exile, plagues, poverty, and struggles that we hear about in Scripture. It makes sense that a bountiful banquet would speak to the people about the abundance of eternal life. In biblical time, only the very rich would be able to experience such opulence. What are some take-aways of today’s reading? Perhaps we can look at how our works of charity can provide a glimpse of God’s banquet to others. Also, it is a good remind that during Advent, we reflect upon not only Jesus’ upcoming birth at Christmas time, but also on Jesus’ second coming in the end times. May we never lose focus of these multi-faceted characteristics of our faith.
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