“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” (IS 40: 1-2)
This call is addressed to the prophet, but we can accept this as a call to us—“give comfort to my people.” “Speak tenderly” to your spouse and to your children; be gentle and respectful. Forget her or his “guilt” and all sins. We are not called to judge people, to change them or to fix them; we are called to “comfort” and love them, like Our Lord Who “comes to save us.”
“The day of the Lord is near: Behold, he comes to save us.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.” (IS 35: 1)
When our marriages are in crisis, they look like “the desert and the parched land”—there is no life; there is nothing to rejoice about, and we live in survival mode. God’s grace always comes to heal and to perfect our relationships if we ask and invite Him to help, “and He himself will lift the yoke of our captivity.”
“Behold the king will come, the Lord of the earth, and he himself will lift the yoke of our captivity.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.”(IS 11: 3-4)
Only God, Who is our Creator and Who knows us perfectly, from our hearts and our depths, can “judge with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.” How often our judgments are based on our expectations, our “idealistic visions” or “legitimate” claims, forgetting that the most important thing in our relationships is to respect our differences: “not by appearance shall we judge, nor by hearsay shall we decide.”
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, while from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ when you would turn to the right or to the left.” (IS 30: 20-21)
Our Lord always looks for the best for us, but because He is so gentle and respectful, we need to learn how to recognize His voice. If we feel sometimes like He “hide[s] himself,” it is often because we didn’t spent any time to recognize His presence in our lives, but for sure He loves to be with us and protects us, forasmuch as we are His beloved children.
“The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King; he it is who will save us.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.” (IS 29: 18)
When we consider that the most beautiful message comes from Our Lord and is written in the Bible, we understand how important is for the deaf “to hear the words of a book” and “out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.” Lucky we, when we can every day open “the words of a book” and receive His message about His love.
“Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith. A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you.” (IS 26: 1-2)
Every home and every relationship needs good “walls and ramparts to protect us.” Like a firewall protects our computer, so every ritual protects our relationship. “Walls and ramparts” are not to separate us from the world but are to protect our relationship, so it can serve properly in the world.
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call him while he is near.” (Gospel Acclamation)
