Introduction to Isaiah[1]
Isaiah is a book with a good number of what you might call "mood swings" in it. It goes back and forth between describing the total destruction of all nations and human civilization (boo), to looking forward to a time of universal peace and goodness (yay). This is because Isaiah—or the people who put together Isaiah's book, arranging the prophecies—lived at a time when destruction and retribution seemed to be at hand. At roughly 800 BCE, Assyria was attacking Israel (which, in the Bible, is a pretty typical Assyrian move), and Isaiah was trying to explain how this was really the result of Israel's own sins. But on the plus side: he also keeps predicting a future time when it all gets better.
Isaiah was a person—but he was also a tradition. The Book of Isaiah wasn't, as a whole, written entirely by the original prophet named Isaiah. Many parts of it were written by other people who were inspired by him, and wrote under his name, in his style—kind of like "fan fiction," except this was extremely high quality, prophetic fan fiction (not some sort of "Harry Potter marries Hermione" alternate fantasy thing). Of course, plenty of people believe it was written by one person, but this is the way scholars of Hebrew typically break down the text to try to understand it:
Originally, scholars thought that there were three different "Isaiahs"—known respectively as Proto Isaiah (Chapters 1-39), Deutero-Isaiah (Chapters 40-55), and Trito Isaiah (chapters 56-66). (This is basically a fun, Latin way to say First, Second, and Third Isaiah.) But now it seems like there were (possibly) many more. The relationship between all these different "Isaiahs" is sort of like the way the band Dread Zeppelin does reggae versions of Led Zeppelin songs, except that the original Isaiah's imitators were much more talented and inspired than the consciously not-good members of Dread Zeppelin.
Isaiah fits into the Bible as one of the prophets at the top of the bill—his book is filled with classic examples of the kind of things you would expect a Biblical prophet to say. He's definitely a "major" prophet, and not at all a minor one. In fact, he's up in the big leagues with Ezekiel and Jeremiah, since the books bearing their names are also long and full of plenty of striking images, visions, and predictions. Isaiah has always been a big hit with Christians, too, since they usually interpret him as prophesying the coming of Jesus with his famous passages about the "Suffering Servant." Some have even called Isaiah the "Fifth Gospel" (so, you know, the book's got that going for it).
Whereas Ezekiel's visions are really far-out, and Jeremiah's visions are saturated with gloom and doom, Isaiah's visions always reach towards the hope of finding peace and rest at last. He helps center the other prophets by keeping his eyes on the prize, looking forward to the finale at the end of time, the moment when peace and love are finally allowed to rule over all. Far out.
What is Book of Isaiah About and Why Should I Care?
Well… Isaiah really cares that you care. He's an intense guy, and he wants your attention. He can speak with the voice of God, and he strongly thinks you should hear what it's saying. So, with the dude insistently tugging at your sleeve, are you really going to ignore him?
Maybe—if you've got no idea what he's talking about. But what Isaiah has to offer up is something pretty important: a description of the lowest lows and the highest highs that human beings can conceive of. On the one hand, he's spinning out various visions of total destruction: the wrath of God destroys entire nations and cities, annihilating every man, woman, and child. Wolves and ostriches (yeah, ostriches, among other wild animals) are moving into the ruins, while, on the plus side, the blood and fat spilled by all the dead people is making the soil pretty rich and fertile (ew). So… those are the lows.
But the highs might capture your attention, as well—although they lack the destructive flair of the lows, which you can picture as being like so many well-wrought death-metal album covers. Isaiah continually balances out the massive-scale slaughter with visions of world-wide peace and love. He sees that planet earth will end up being a place where "the lion lies down with the lamb", and where you can play with poisonous snakes without fear of getting bitten (good times).
So, Isaiah isn't just about bringing the wrath, he's also about bringing the love (he's maybe even more about bringing the love, in the end). While reading Isaiah, though, you can keep looking at both aspects. You can also keep wondering whether this is the worst that we're capable of envisioning and the best that we're capable of envisioning—to see how far the your imagination can reach in either direction. Isaiah says that wrath will ultimately give way to forgiveness and mercy. He holds the nice stuff and the not-so-nice stuff up against each other.
The God Isaiah represents is a God of strict justice, but he's also merciful. This might seem to be a contradiction, since pure justice and pure mercy can't really exist at the same time (since you can't forgive someone while simultaneously punishing them)—and in Isaiah, they don't exist at the same time. The justice and wrath of God decimate everyone and pretty much everything for a span of time, but in the end, they fall away totally. What you're left with is a vision of what living in a world governed entirely by mercy would look like and as, it turns out, it's pretty sweet.
The chance to wrestle with these issues—to explore the contradictions between mercy and justice on the page and in your own life—is one of the most important reasons to take an interest in Isaiah. After all, what could be more basic than that? They're big concepts, tough to work your mind around, but rewarding just the same. So, buckle up and dive into all that Mercy and Justice, Love and War.
Vinny’s Corner
· Feeling hungry? It’s National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day! Whip up your own version at home or explore local eateries for a tasty treat. Then, immerse yourself in creativity on Go to an Art Museum Day. Visit a virtual gallery, create your own art, or simply appreciate the beauty around you.
· Venture outdoors for National Saddle Hunting Day. Explore a nearby park or nature reserve, go birdwatching, or simply enjoy the fresh air. Keep the adventure going with Eleven09 Day. Try something new, whether it’s a new hobby, a new recipe, or a new route for your daily walk.
· Take a moment to honor the legacy of Brian Holland Legacy Day. Learn about a historical figure or local hero, share their story with others, or support a cause they believed in. Embrace the chaos on Chaos Never Dies Day. Mix up your routine, try a new workout, or engage in a spontaneous activity.
· Celebrate your culinary heritage on National Scrapple Day. Cook up a traditional family recipe, research the origins of your favorite foods, or host a virtual potluck with friends. Reflect on the value of freedom on World Freedom Day. Educate yourself on global issues, support a human rights organization, or simply savor your own freedoms.
· Look up at the stars and honor the spirit of Carl Sagan Day. Stargaze from your backyard, watch a documentary about the cosmos, or ponder the mysteries of the universe. Indulge your sweet tooth on British Pudding Day. Bake a classic British dessert, experiment with new flavors, or treat yourself to a store-bought delight.
· End your day by celebrating the vibrant culture of Louisiana on National Louisiana Day. Listen to some jazz music, cook up a Cajun dish, or learn about the state’s rich history. Cheers to a day filled with unexpected delights and diverse experiences!
NOVEMBER 9 Saturday-Dedication of the Lateran Basilica WORLD FREEDOM DAY
Isaiah, Chapter 7, Verse 3-6
3 Then
the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at
the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field,
4 and say to him: Take care
you remain calm and do not FEAR; do not let your courage fail before
these two stumps of smoldering brands, the blazing anger of Rezin and the
Arameans and of the son of Remaliah— 5 because
Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you. They
say, 6 “Let us
go up against Judah, tear it apart, make it our own by force, and appoint the
son of Tabeel king there.
These
verses contain a series of oracles and narratives, all closely related to the
Syro-Ephraimite war of 735–732 B.C. Several passages feature three children
whose symbolic names refer to the Lord’s purposes: Shear-jashub, Emmanuel, and
Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Judah and its Davidic dynasty should trust God’s
promises and not fear the combined armies of Israel and Syria; within a very
short time these two enemy states will be destroyed, and David’s dynasty will
continue. Human plans contrary to those of the Lord are doomed to frustration.
Syro-Ephraimite War[2] took place in the 8th century BC,
when the Neo-Assyrian Empire was a great regional power. The tributary nations
of Syria (often called Aram) and the Kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim
because of the main tribe) decided to break away. The Kingdom of Judah, ruled
by King Ahaz, refused to join the coalition. In 735 BC Syria, under Rezin, and
Israel, under Pekah, attempted to depose Ahaz through an invasion. Judah was
being defeated and, according to 2 Chronicles, lost 120,000 troops in just one
day. Many significant officials were killed, including the king's son. Many
others were taken away as slaves. During the invasion, the Philistines and
Edomites were taking advantage of the situation and raiding towns and villages
in Judah. Ahaz asked Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria for help. The Assyrians
defended Judah, conquering Israel, Syria, and the Philistines, but the post-war
alliance only brought more trouble for the king of Judah. Ahaz had to pay
tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III with treasures from the Temple in Jerusalem and
the royal treasury. He also built idols of Assyrian gods in Judah to find favor
with his new ally.
Isaiah tells King Ahaz
that the invasion will be unsuccessful and tells him to ask God for a sign.
Ahaz refuses, claiming he does not want to test God. Isaiah then announces that
God himself will choose the sign:
A
young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He
shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the
good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good,
the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.— Isaiah
7:14-16
Isaiah 8 details another prophecy about a child by the name of Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Hebrew: מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז "Hurry to the spoils!" or "He has made haste to the plunder!"). Isaiah then explains that the significance of this name is that before this child can speak, Assyria will plunder both Syria and Ephraim. Isaiah concludes these prophecies concerning his children, Shear-Jashub (meaning "the remnant shall return"), Immanuel (meaning "God with us"), and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, by saying,
Here
am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in
Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.— Isaiah 8:18
The context continues into
chapter 9 which also uses a birth of a child as its object.
Feast of the Dedication of the
Lateran Basilica in Rome
Today the liturgy
celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, called “mother and head of
all the churches of the city and the world.” In fact, this basilica was the
first to be built after Emperor Constantine’s edict, in 313, granted Christian’s
freedom to practice their religion. The emperor himself gave Pope Miltiades the
ancient palace of the Laterani family, and the basilica, the baptistery, and
the patriarchate, that is, the Bishop of Rome’s residence — where the Popes
lived until the Avignon period — were all built there. The basilica’s
dedication was celebrated by Pope Sylvester around 324 and was named Most Holy
Savior; only after the 6th century were the names of St. John the Baptist and
St. John the Evangelist added, and now is typically denominated by these
latter. Initially the observance of this feast was confined to the city of
Rome; then, beginning in 1565, it was extended to all the Churches of the Roman
rite. The honoring of this sacred edifice was a way of expressing love and veneration
for the Roman Church, which, as St. Ignatius of Antioch says, “presides in
charity” over the whole Catholic communion (Letter to the Romans, 1:1). On this solemnity the Word of God recalls an
essential truth: the temple of stones is a symbol of the living Church, the
Christian community, which in their letters the Apostles Peter and Paul already
understood as a “spiritual edifice,” built by God with “living stones,” namely,
Christians themselves, upon the one foundation of Jesus Christ, who is called
the “cornerstone” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Ephesians
2:20-22). “Brothers, you are God’s building,” St. Paul wrote, and added:
“holy is God’s temple, which you are” (1 Corinthians 3:9c, 17).
The beauty and harmony of
the churches, destined to give praise to God, also draws us human beings,
limited and sinful, to convert to form a “cosmos,” a well-ordered
structure, in intimate communion with Jesus, who is the true Saint of saints.
This happens in a culminating way in the Eucharistic liturgy, in which the
“ecclesia,” that is, the community of the baptized, come together in a unified
way to listen to the Word of God and nourish themselves with the Body and Blood
of Christ. From these two tables the Church of living stones is built up in
truth and charity and is internally formed by the Holy Spirit transforming
herself into what she receives, conforming herself more and more to the Lord
Jesus Christ. She herself, if she lives in sincere and fraternal unity, in this
way becomes the spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God.
Dear friends, today’s
feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a
spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and
truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in
which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community
therefore has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which
are a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this we call upon the
intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she helps us to become, like her, the
“house of God,” living temple of his love.
—
Benedict XVI, Angelus Address, November 9, 2008
Things to Do:[3]
- Learn
more about St. John Lateran;
- This
basilica represents the place of baptism, so it would be a good time to
renew your baptismal promises.
- It
also represents heaven, so we can meditate on the joys of heaven and God's
generosity in giving us sufficient graces to be saved.
- Since
St. John Lateran is the Pope's church, say a prayer for our Holy Father.
- From
the Catholic Culture Library: Mother
Church of the World.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Day 150
The Holy Spirit makes present
the mystery of Christ.
1104 Christian liturgy not only
recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them, makes them present. the
Paschal mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated. It is the celebrations
that are repeated, and in each celebration, there is an outpouring of the Holy
Spirit that makes the unique mystery present.
1105 The Epiclesis
("invocation upon") is the intercession in which the priest begs the
Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the offerings may
become the body and blood of Christ and that the faithful by receiving them,
may themselves become a living offering to God.
1106 Together with the
anamnesis, the epiclesis is at the heart of each sacramental celebration, most
especially of the Eucharist:
You ask how the bread becomes
the Body of Christ, and the wine . . . the Blood of Christ I shall tell you:
the Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what surpasses every word and
thought . . . Let it be enough for you to understand that it is by the Holy
Spirit, just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the Holy Spirit that the Lord,
through and in himself, took flesh.
1107 The Holy Spirit's
transforming power in the liturgy hastens the coming of the kingdom and the
consummation of the mystery of salvation. While we wait in hope, he causes us
really to anticipate the fullness of communion with the Holy Trinity. Sent by
the Father who hears the epiclesis of the Church, the Spirit gives life to
those who accept him and is, even now, the "guarantee" of their
inheritance.
The communion of the Holy
Spirit
1108 In every liturgical action
the Holy Spirit is sent in order to bring us into communion with Christ and so
to form his Body. the Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father's vine which
bears fruit on its branches. The most intimate cooperation of the Holy
Spirit and the Church is achieved in the liturgy. The Spirit who is the Spirit
of communion, abides indefectibly in the Church. For this reason, the Church is
the great sacrament of divine communion which gathers God's scattered children
together. Communion with the Holy Trinity and fraternal communion are
inseparably the fruit of the Spirit in the liturgy.
1109 The epiclesis is also a
prayer for the full effect of the assembly's communion with the mystery of
Christ. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit" have to remain with us always and bear
fruit beyond the Eucharistic celebration. the Church therefore asks the Father
to send the Holy Spirit to make the lives of the faithful a living sacrifice to
God by their spiritual transformation into the image of Christ, by concern for
the Church's unity, and by taking part in her mission through the witness and
service of charity.
World Freedom Day[4]
In many parts of the
world, freedom is something that is taken for granted—the freedom to choose any
religion we want (or no religion at all), the freedom to be in a relationship
with the person we love, the freedom to travel…the list goes on. Unfortunately,
there are many, many places in the world where these freedoms are not available
to most people, who are forced to live empty, unfulfilling lives so the rulers
of their countries don’t have them thrown in jail or worse. If you don’t know
what it means to be afraid to voice your opinion, then you can consider
yourself very lucky to live in a place where liberty is a priority as well as a
basic human right. And like all good things, liberty should be celebrated, and
that’s what World Freedom Day is all about. The World Freedom Day is a federal
observance commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall. The day commemorates the
end of communism in Eastern and Central Europe and was designated in 2001 by
President George W. Bush. It was created to celebrate the reunification of
loved ones separated by the Iron Curtain and differing ideologies, and
ultimately serves to acknowledge that the resolve of the masses can shift
boundaries, break unfavorable resolutions and ultimately determine the type of
leadership they desire so as to live is a freer, more fair society.
How
to Celebrate World Freedom Day
·
The
day is celebrated in different ways, depending on who’s celebrating.
Conservative groups such as the College Republicans and Young America Foundation
encourage students to celebrate the day through activism projects and flyer
campaigns, while on the other hand, political activists and commentators see
the day as an occasion to recognize President Ronald Reagan as one of the most
instrumental personalities in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
·
If
you are not living in the United States and therefore cannot be politically
active in the ways described, don’t worry! There are still plenty of ways you
can celebrate this day. Doing some reading about Ronald Reagan is a good start,
regardless of your nationality, but there are other figures that played large
parts in the fall of Communism as well. Among them are for example Margaret
Thatcher, often called the “Iron Lady” due to her determination and resolve,
who personally worked with Reagan to undermine the Communist regime.
·
Yet
another example of a person who was instrumental was a Pole named Karol
Wojtyła, more commonly known as Pope John Paul II. The pope helped ordinary
Poles and East Europeans banish their fear of Soviet Communism, convincing them
that liberation was possible. The prime minister restored her country’s failing
economy by reviving the “vigorous virtues” of the British people. The president
rebuilt America’s military power, its national morale, and its position as
leader of the free world.
· All three of these figures, working together, brought down an evil empire and changed the world for the better, and these are the people that deserve remembrance on World Freedom Day. The Cold War was a time of tension and uncertainty for the West and misery and destruction for the East, so taking the time to find out a bit more about the people that helped put an end to all of this is the perfect way to celebrate this day.
Carl
Sagan born 1934[5]
One of the most well-known
gurus of scientism was the late Carl Sagan, best known for his popular
television series "Cosmos." Sagan was unrelenting in his
insistence that the methods and speculations of science are absolutely
necessary for the proper understanding of all reality. Science, then, surpasses
any other form of knowledge, including religion. In the "religion" of
scientism only matter is eternal. "Mother Earth" was for Sagan the
only god to be worshipped, as is the case for many who espouse New Age
thinking.
In his book
"Cosmos," Sagan wrote that "our ancestors worshipped the Sun,
and they were far from foolish. And yet the Sun is an ordinary, even a mediocre
star. If we must worship a power greater than ourselves, does it now make sense
to revere the Sun and stars?" (p. 243).
Put even more simply,
scientism is the belief that whatever cannot be experienced by the senses,
i.e., seen, touched, heard, etc., simply does not exist. First and foremost,
this means that God does not exist because he cannot be subjected to scientific
observation and proof.
Recently, scientism has
taken a curious turn. Last year scientists at the National Institutes for
Health in Bethesda, Md., performed experiments that convinced them that what
religion calls the moral conscience is, in fact, nothing more than basic brain activity.
Remaining true to the tenets of scientism, these scientists would allow no
explanation of moral action other than the claim that that's the way our brains
are wired.
What is interesting,
however, is that, instead of using science to discredit religion, these
scientists seem to be claiming that what people of faith have known all along
can now be substantiated by the scientific method. It's an intriguing twist,
but in the end scientism reigns supreme.
Harvard neuroscientist and
philosopher Joshua Greene, as good an example of scientism as anyone, has
stated that his goal as a scientist is "to reveal our moral thinking for
what it is: a complex hodgepodge of emotional responses and rational (re)constructions,
shaped by biological and cultural forces . . ." There it is. For Greene —
as for all good proponents of scientism — not only do conscience and morality
have no objective meaning or content or even less do they come from God, the
human person is ultimately understood to be no more than the product of
cultural and biological forces.
Several decades ago, a
Russian cosmonaut returned from his first venture into space and proudly
announced that he had been into the heavens and could now verify that God was
nowhere to be seen. This finding, of course, fit nicely into the atheistic
picture of reality that prevailed in the Soviet Union of those days.
More than simply a glib
pronouncement on the non-existence of God, however, the remark was expressive
of what has come to be known as "scientism." Michael Shermer, founder
of the Skeptics Society, provides a good definition of scientism: "Scientism
is the scientific worldview that encompasses natural explanations for all
phenomena, eschews supernatural and paranormal speculations, and embraces
empiricism and reason as the twin pillars of a philosophy of life appropriate
for an Age of Science."
This way of thinking is
becoming more and more acceptable in what has been called our "age of
science." It has infected even people of faith. Nowhere is it more obvious
than in the implicit — and even explicit at times — agreement that conscience
is, in fact, nothing more than what I think and feel about a particular
subject. My own personal thoughts are understood to be little other than the
effects of the culture in which I live. And so, even for some Catholics, the
moral conscience has little to do with God or his revelation or the natural
law. Rather, conscience has everything to do with how I, as an individual,
perceive reality. What else could account for the sad fact that many Catholics
believe that a crime like abortion could be morally justified in certain
situations?
In an age of relativism
such as ours, it is vitally important that we appreciate that God is the source
of all truth and meaning. He created that world and all that is in it. It is
his law that governs right behavior. It is his truth that informs and binds
every human conscience. It is his truth that is communicated authoritatively by
the magisterium of the Catholic Church. We read in the Catechism of the
Catholic Church: "A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful.
It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true
good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is
indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and
tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative
teachings" (No. 1783).
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Purity
·
Saturday Litany of the Hours
Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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