Blessed and Called

Memorial of St. John Damascene, Priest and Doctor
Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 10:21-24

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus reveals himself as the fulfillment of the dreams of prophets and kings.

We see in Jesus, the Son of God, the complete embodiment of the Spirit of the Lord proclaimed by Isaiah: wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord, that is, reverence for his Father. We see in the words and actions of Jesus, the fulfillment of God’s love and God’s preferential option for the poor.

It was to his disciples, simple, hard-working and mostly uneducated men, that he chose to reveal himself. It is no wonder that throughout history his mother has so often revealed herself to “the little ones:” Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Bernadette at Lourdes, and Lucia, Jacinta and Francisca at Fatima.

Today we have the privilege to be disciples of Jesus. We are called to be God’s “little ones,” first in our holy fear or reverence for God. We are called to cultivate a wisdom that is different than the wisdom of the world; a knowledge of spiritual things as well as material things; counsel that leads us and others to Christ; and a strength of character that is revealed in love, not violence.

We are blessed to see what we see in Jesus, and we pray that we will grow in holiness so that others will see Christ in us. –JC