A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 6, n. 3)
Third Sunday of Advent, Year A – December 16, 2007
“The Flowering of the Desert”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 35:1-6a // Jas 5:7-10 // Mt 11:2-11
N.B. Series 6 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year A from the perspective of the First Reading. For another set of reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year A, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 3.
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
It was early springtime when I traveled by AMTRAK Train n. 14 from Los Angeles to San Jose, California. For two hours, from Oxnard until San Luis Obispo, the train was coursing through one of the most scenic spots in the world. On the left side was the immense Pacific Ocean with its peaceful water, while all over the hills, mountains and flat lands were myriads of flowers dripping with breath-taking beauty and poetic charm. This California landscape of water and flowers helps me contemplate vividly the nature image depicted by the prophet Isaiah in this Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Is 35:1-6a, 10).
The prophet’s beautiful image of “the flowering of the desert” announces God’s saving intervention on behalf of his long-suffering Jewish people. The splendor in nature was for Isaiah emblematic of the “newness” and glory that the advent of God would bring. Indeed, the fascinating panorama of the desert blooming and the parched land exulting with dancing flowers depict in anticipation the “miracles of life” to be accomplished by the coming Messiah. With consoling words, the prophet exhorts to joyful hope an enfeebled, frightened and discouraged people reeling from the terrible experience of invasion, war and the Babylonian exile: “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God; he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened; then will the lame leap like a stag; then the tongue of the mute will sing. Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness; sorrow and mourning will flee” (Is 35:4-6, 10).
The images of beauty in nature painted by the prophet intensify the saving reality fully realized by the advent of the life-giving Messiah. The paschal experience of the chosen people Israel and all those redeemed by Jesus Christ could be compared to the miracle of the blooming desert. Jesus makes the desert within us, arid and forlorn by bitterness, passion, anger, fear and sinful inclination, flow with life-giving water. He makes the sere and parched land of our weary spirits bloom with beauty and grace. In this Advent season of grace, we are being asked to focus on the messianic signs of healing and goodness that surround us. The Advent liturgy invites us to open our hearts to the “miracles of life” wrought by Jesus Christ, which confirmed to John the Baptist that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed “the one who is to come”. The healing works and saving deeds of Jesus are actions of life. They transcend time and space. They give us great comfort and joy and enable us to experience an exquisite flowering in the desert of our soul if only we are open to grace.
The following excerpt from Carla Emery’s story (cf. “Silent Prayer” in GUIDEPOSTS, October 1989, p.42-44) tells of her healing – an experience akin to “the flowering of the desert”. Born mute, she was loved by her parents but utterly lonely and vulnerable to the cruel pranks of other children. Her grandmother’s visit one summer set her on the road to healing and helped bring about the blossoming of her soul. Carla’s tongue was finally loosened and she was able to speak the praises of God. She narrates:
I was fundamentally different. I was mute. That was why I’d been pushed into the goldfish pond; that was why the girl had dabbed red paint all over me. The red paint had worn off, but the unkindness that it represented marked my spirit. Then that summer, Grandmother came to visit us … Her snow-white hair softly framed a richly wrinkled face and glistened like a halo when we walked together in the sun. She had time, you know, to admire flowers, pet neighborhood cats and talk with a mute granddaughter. “The flowers are so beautiful,” she’d say. And suddenly I noticed flowers. They mattered to me. We shared their scents and shapes and colors … Then one day she told me, “Carla there is someone called God.” I looked at her intently, for I had never heard of this someone. She told me about God, about divine goodness, divine love, perfection. She told this to the imperfect child and she acted as if I were as perfect as her perfect God. And she believed in it … A few days later, shortly before Grandmother returned to New York, she spoke to my mother. We sat at the kitchen table in the boardinghouse while Mom moved about, quickly putting the block of ice, just delivered, into the icebox to keep the food fresh. “Irma Ferne,” Grandmother said in a much firmer tone than usual, “you must have that child examined by a doctor.” I had not seen a doctor since my birth. As I mentioned, in those days of scrimping to make ends meet, healthy children didn’t get checkups. I didn’t feel ill; in fact, I’d never felt better. Grandmother’s loving attention had made those the most memorable days of my life and had started an inner flowering in my soul. Shortly after, a kindly doctor poked around in my mouth, and then announced to Mother, “Oh, she’s tongue-tied. Very easy to fix.” A thin thread of tissue was holding my tongue flat against the bottom of my mouth. With a pair of small silver scissors, he snipped the piece of skin that had kept my tongue locked in place. There was no pain. “It’s fixed,” he told me. Just like that. And in two months, with the help of a lovely young speech therapist at the University of Washington, I was talking. And I’ve never stopped … My muteness made me understand the profound desire that we all have to speak our minds. It made me cherish the richness of human languages … I am amazed and thrilled by all of the ways we have of talking with one another. But by far the most amazing communication is that of the spirit. Years ago my grandmother introduced me to God, who is always listening. Even when no one else hears, He does.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
How does Isaiah’s beautiful image of the flowering of the desert move us? Have we witnessed a nature image like this and how did it move us? How is the “newness” of a transformed parched land emblematic of the advent of God and his messianic kingdom?
2 What is our response to the following words of consolation: “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God; he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you”? Do we allow ourselves to be filled with joy at the advent of the saving Lord Jesus Christ? Are we filled with joyful expectation at the coming of the Lord in our daily life?
3 What do we do to make the phenomenon of “the flowering desert” a daily reality? Do we allow the saving love of God to transform us and enable us to blossom? What do we do to make the people around us experience the “miracles of life” wrought by God in his Son Jesus Christ? Are we ready to work with the grace of God to open the eyes of the blind, to clear the ears of the deaf, to make the lame leap like a stag, to loosen the tongue of the mute, and to bring the exile back to their home? In this Advent season are we ready to meet with joy and gladness and, by embracing the Messiah, allow our sorrow and mourning to flee from us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Father, the prophet Isaiah’s image of “the flowering desert” gives us deep joy and great consolation. The beauty of a transformed nature is a sign of the radical “newness” that the coming of Jesus Christ brings into our life. Like blossoming flowers in the desert, may we open our hearts to the “miracles of life” wrought by his paschal sacrifice. Give us the grace to hasten the definitive advent of his kingdom in today’s world. May we participate intimately in his healing ministry and liberating power so that we may open the eyes of the blind, clear the ears of the deaf, make the lame leap like a stag, loosen the tongue of the mute, bring the exile back to their home and transform the parched land of modern unbelief into a blossoming desert. We thank you and adore you for you are our loving and compassionate God, now and forever.
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“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 35:1-2a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: Meditate on the beauty of a “flowering desert” and its implication for us as we prepare for the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Endeavor to promote the “miracles of life” accomplished by the messianic works of Christ by your works of justice and charity for the poor, the sick, the suffering and the needy
ACTION PLAN: To help us realize more effectively the phenomenon of the “flowering desert” catalyzed by the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 4, n. 3): A Weekly Pastoral Tool.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
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Website: WWW.PDDM.US