Memory of the Mother of the Lord

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Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Spirit of the Lord is upon you.
The child you shall bear will be holy.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Isaiah 40,1-11

'Console my people, console them,' says your God. 'Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and cry to her that her period of service is ended, that her guilt has been atoned for, that, from the hand of Yahweh, she has received double punishment for all her sins.' A voice cries, 'Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh. Make a straight highway for our God across the wastelands. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be levelled, every cliff become a plateau, every escarpment a plain; then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed and all humanity will see it together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.' A voice said, 'Cry aloud!' and I said, 'What shall I cry?' -'All humanity is grass and all its beauty like the wild flower's. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of Yahweh blows on them. (The grass is surely the people.) The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.' Go up on a high mountain, messenger of Zion. Shout as loud as you can, messenger of Jerusalem! Shout fearlessly, say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God.' Here is Lord Yahweh coming with power, his arm maintains his authority, his reward is with him and his prize precedes him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Look down, O Lord, on your servants.
Be it unto us according to your word.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The prophet Isaiah does not let himself be overwhelmed by resignation or discouragement because of the situation of exile. Inspired by God's Spirit, he speaks words of consolation for the people. At the same time as he invites believers to reflect on their weakness and the precariousness of life, he urges them to turn their eyes to the Lord who is coming to succour them. We urgently must open a road in the desert of our hearts to allow the Lord to come. The desert for us is that of the hearts, that of the links among men and women that are now like desert for they are with no love and therefore no life. God does not come on earth outside the hearts, outside the relationships among people and nations. God comes to free the hearts from the oppression of evil and the slavery of sin, to make love rise again, to give fruits of justice and peace. When the Word of God reaches a heart, it makes it blossom again. The Lord asks the prophet to console His people, that is to speak to their hearts so that they start again hoping. The Lord asks the prophet to console everyone and therefore he asks him, "Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings." The Lord is coming like a strong shepherd who knows his sheep, he calls them by name, gathers them, leads them out of the desert to a green pasture. In this time of Advent Christian communities, individual believers and we all are called to welcome the Word that is proclaimed to us: our hearts will blossom with good sentiments and the desert of our cities will give room to love and peace.