GOD IS COMING TO SAVE US

XXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Isaiah 35:4-7

There are times when our hearts faint and we become hopeless. Life may become an unbearable load that seems that oppresses us from all sides and ends crushing us. The Qohelet recognises that in the end “all is vanity” (Qohelet 1:2). In the Scriptures, we find the people of Israel losing heart on so many occasions, sometimes due to their unfaithfulness and other times due to the situation around them. They experienced slavery in Egypt and many years later the exile in Babylonia. In the journey of life, there are moments of joy and moments of sadness, as the Qohelet says: 

“a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance”. (Qohelet 3:4). 

In times of mourning, we have a feeling of going through darkness so thick that there is no glimpse of light. It is then that we need an encouraging word and a smiling face that may bring a bit of respite which will help us to go through the tunnel and find the light again. The prophet Isaiah is told by God to do just that:

“Courage! Do not be afraid.

Look, your God is coming”.

God has not abandoned us, even if we accuse him of doing that. When we mostly feel his absence, that’s when he is coming to our rescue, taking us by the hand and pulling us out of the deep. God himself will fight by our side and we will fight for us to annihilate the powers of evil which oppress us. God is coming to save us. That’s why we should not be afraid.

In Isaiah, God promises a time of reconciliation that will bring harmony, peace and plenitude. There will be a deep and real sense of well-being since all shortcomings and all kinds of handicaps will end. It will be a time for rejoicing because the Lord has listened to our plight and has set us free.

In the gospel, Mark presents Jesus fulfilling the promise made through the prophet Isaiah. Jesus healed a man “who had an impediment in his speech” (Mk 7:32). The people reacted with joy and praise, saying:

“He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.” (Mk 7:37).

“It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

  who raises up those who are bowed down.

It is the Lord who loves the just,

  the Lord, who protects the stranger.

The Lord upholds the widow and orphan

  but thwarts the path of the wicked.” (Psalm 146).

 Let us ask for the Lord’s protection and guidance for all those who go through difficult times. May they find joy and peace.