READING

Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good tidings to the afflicted;

    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

    and the day of vengeance of our God;

    to comfort all who mourn;

to grant to those who mourn in Zion—

    to give them a garland instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

    the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit;

that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

They shall build up the ancient ruins,

    they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

    the devastations of many generations.

Aliens shall stand and feed your flocks,

    foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;

but you shall be called the priests of the Lord,

    men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;

you shall eat the wealth of the nations,

    and in their riches you shall glory.

Instead of your shame you shall have a double portion,

    instead of dishonor you shall rejoice in your lot;

therefore in your land you shall possess a double portion;

    yours shall be everlasting joy.

For I the Lord love justice,

    I hate robbery and wrong;

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

    and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their descendants shall be known among the nations,

    and their offspring in the midst of the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge them,

    that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,

    my soul shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,

    and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

    to spring forth before all the nations.

MEDITATION – Dr. Andrew Seeley

We are in the season celebrating the manifestations (epiphanies) of the Lord: to the Shepherds and Magi, at His Baptism, during the Wedding Feast, in the synagogue at Nazareth. Isaiah foresaw so much of His life and its fruits.

Our schools, our classrooms are privileged places where the reality of His good news is tasted by students and, by extension, their families. The world is such a difficult place for people of faith, a desolate place for those seeking God, but in our schools they are comforted by the oil of gladness, the joy that is the fruit of the Spirit.

We have been promised that when Jesus returns, He will come as the Bridegroom of the Church. We should bedeck our schools with the robe, garments, and jewels befitting His Bride. In that way, our communities will shine out to the nations, and our students will be built up into oaks of righteousness, ready to withstand the difficulties of the world and provide shelter and strength to those who come to know them.

EXAMEN

Am I continuing to celebrate the epiphanies of the Lord in my heart? Am I fostering a spirit of gladness and comfort in my school? Do I allow the Lord to touch my students through me?

PRAYER

I thank you, Lord Jesus, for manifesting the love of the Father through Your life and through the Holy Spirit at work in the Church, and ask You to use me to manifest His love especially to those most in need of it.

MID-MONTH REFLECTION – FR. FRANK BRAWNER, INSTITUTE CHAPLAIN