Isaiah 1:10, 16-20
#231 Weekday Years I & II Context (Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent)
Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist,
the sword shall consume you:
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!
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Commentary on Is 1:10, 16-20
This reading from the beginning of the Book of Isaiah contains one of what are called the “Lawsuit Oracles." They are so called because they are framed the same way as charges brought before Jewish courts. In this reading, the charge leveled at his audience (probably at a feast day) is a reference to the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The command that God sends through the prophet is for the people to wash themselves clean, not in the physical sense but in the spiritual sense. Repent from the sin and return to God’s way. Note here the sin is not simply spiritual but through actions. In the same way, repentance is required through action not merely prayer.
The reading concludes with the consequences of the choices God places before them. If they accept the penitential role and return to God, they will be forgiven and good things will be theirs. If, on the other hand, they do not, eternal death awaits them.
CCC: Is 1:10-20 2100; Is 1:17 1435; Is 1:16-17 1430
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Isaiah 1:10-17
#389 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Hear the word of the Lord,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the Lord.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.
When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
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Commentary on Is 1:10-17
This is the introductory oracle (vision) of the Prophet Isaiah (the Book of Judgment, as it is called by scholars). It is set in the time of the defeat of the northern kingdom by Assyria (722 BC), and the threat to Jerusalem some years later. Having previously compared the state of religious fidelity of Israel and Judah to Sodom and Gomorrah, here the prophet continues to use that comparison to express the Lord’s displeasure over their attempts to appease him through religious acts, while the people's actions and behaviors are wicked (“Your hands are full of blood”). He calls the people to repent and return to the values of the Law of Moses.
CCC: Is 1:10-20 2100; Is 1:16-17 1430; Is 1:17 1435
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Isaiah 2:1-5
Note: In Cycle A the Monday Weekday reading is switched to Isaiah 4:2-6.
#1A Solemnities A Context (1st Sunday of of Advent A)
#175 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the First Week of Advent)
#872 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 11. For the Evangelization of Peoples, 1.)
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
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Commentary on Is 2:1-5
This selection presents Isaiah’s vision of a time of unity, the great messianic destiny. He sees a time when all peoples will recognize God as the one true God and flock to his call. (Isaiah uses the “highest mountain” metaphor in the Hebrew context. High places were places closest to God. Mountain tops were frequently places where altars were built. “Highest” would then be above all others.) The “highest mountain” means that all other beliefs become subservient to the One God. He sees the unity of all the nations under one God and one Messiah.
The prophet sees the Law of the Lord governing all peoples, and a time of great peace as a result of the universal unity of people in faithfulness to God. “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” Isaiah implores the faithful of the house of Jacob (the Israelites) to fulfill his vision quickly.
CCC: Is 2:2-5 762; Is 2:2-4 64; Is 2:4 2317
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Isaiah 4:2-6*
#175 Weekday Year I, II Context (Monday of the 1st Week of Advent)
On that day,
The branch of the Lord will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.
When the Lord washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the Lord create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the Lord’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
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Commentary on Is 4:2-6
The Prophet envisions a time when the Lord will give his divine blessing to the faithful who patiently await the moment of God’s great glory. “The 'branch of the Lord' (v. 2) is a title belonging to the king in the line of David (cf. Isaiah 11:1). It is not only the 'remnant' of Israel that will survive and see the glory of the purified Jerusalem, but also the messiah, David's son.”[1] This section of Isaiah’s oracle is seen as anticipating the fulfillment of the messianic promise in Jesus Christ.
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Isaiah 5:1-7
#139A Solemnities A Context (27th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Let me now sing of my friend,
my friend's song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
he spaded it, cleared it of stones,
and planted the choicest vines;
within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant;
he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
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Commentary on Is 5:1-7
This selection marks the beginning of what is known as the “Song of the Vineyard.” Using the analogy of vineyard as the “Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,” the prophet first describes how the people had been prepared by the law and the prophets. The implication is that all preparations had been made to produce God’s intended result. However, the “stiff-necked” people turned away from God “but see, bloodshed![he looked] for justice, but hark, the outcry!” Isaiah warns the people that God will cause the house of Israel to be destroyed. This is a clear reference to the Babylonian Exile which took place some 100-200 years following this prophecy.
CCC: Is 5:1-7 755
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Isaiah 6:1-8
#388 Weekdays Year II Context (Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
#687 Proper of Saints Context (St. Nicholas Dec 6)
#719 Commons Context (Common of Pastors)
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces,
with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft.
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!" they cried, one to the other.
"All the earth is filled with his glory!"
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it and said,
"See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" "Here I am," I said, "send me!"
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Commentary on Is 6:1-8
The Prophet Isaiah tells us the story of his call “in the year King Uzziah died” (742 BC). The prophet first relates his belief that he will die, since it was the common belief that one who had not been purified could not see the face of God and live. This selection from Isaiah (an introduction to the “Book of Emmanuel”) describes the prophet’s first vision of his encounter with God. It is set in the temple in Jerusalem, probably on a high holy day. The six winged “seraphim” (literally “the burning ones”) are images common in art of the ancient Near East, and represent angelic messengers. “Each has six wings. Reverence for the divine majesty causes them to veil their faces with two wings; modesty, to veil their extremities in similar fashion; alacrity in God's service, to extend two wings in preparation for flight.”[10] One of these seraphim flew to him with a coal from the fire at the altar (there would have been a fire for burning the holocaust – a sacrificial offering completely burnt as opposed to simply slaughtered).
With that coal, the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips in symbolic cleansing, making the prophet worthy to proclaim God’s word. The Church remembers this event with the priest’s blessing of himself or the deacon with the words: “May the Lord open my (your) lips that I (you) may worthily proclaim the Holy Gospel.”
The reference to God in the prefix, “Holy, holy, holy,” describes the Father as perfect and omnipotent. (Note: in ancient Hebrew, there were no words "Holier" or "Holiest." In order to express that thought, it was necessary to repeat the phrase three times to express the ultimate state of perfection. This literary form is carried into the Roman Rite liturgy today.) We hear the prophet lament that he is “doomed,” since it was believed that such an encounter with God would be fatal (Genesis 32:31; Exodus 33:20; Judges 13:22).
This encounter with God is important in understanding Isaiah’s entire mission and purpose. (“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ ’Here I am,’ I said; ‘send me!’”)
CCC: Is 6:1 1137; Is 6:2-3 1138; Is 6:3 2809; Is 6:5 208, 2584; Is 6:6 332; Is 6:8 2584
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Isaiah 6: l-2a, 3-8
#75C Solemnities C Context (5th Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
#775 Ritual Mass Context (III. For the Admission to Candidacy for the Diaconate and the Priesthood, Third Option)
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above.
They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
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Commentary on Is 6:1-2a, 3-8
The Prophet Isaiah tells us the story of his call: “In the year King Uzziah died” (742 B.C.). The prophet first relates his belief that he will die, since it is the common belief that no one who had not been purified could see the face of God and live. Then one of the seraphim took a coal from the fire at the altar (there would have been a fire for burning the holocaust, a sacrificial offering completely burnt as opposed to simply slaughtered), and flew to him.
With that coal, the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips in symbolic cleansing, making the prophet worthy to proclaim God’s word. The Church remembers this event with the priest’s blessing of himself or the deacon before proclaiming the Gospel at Mass with the words: “May the Lord open my lips that I may proclaim the Holy Gospel worthily and well, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
The reading closes with the phrase that has become a lyric that we express in the song: “Here I am Lord” and many other hymns.
CCC: Is 6:1 1137; Is 6:2-3 1138; Is 6:3 2809; Is 6:5 208, 2584; Is 6:6 332; Is 6:8 2584
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Isaiah 6:1, 6-8
#857 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 8. For Vocations to Holy Orders or Religious Life, 5.)
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
One of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
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Commentary on Is 6:1, 6-8
The Prophet Isaiah tells us the story of his call “In the year King Uzziah died” (742 B.C.) One of the seraphim stationed in the court of heaven flew to him and, using a coal from the fire at the altar (there would have been a fire for burning the holocaust – a sacrificial offering completely burnt as opposed to simply slaughtered).
With that coal, the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips in symbolic cleansing, making the prophet worthy to proclaim God’s word. The Church remembers this event with the Priest’s blessing of himself or the Deacon with the words – “May the Lord open my lips that I may proclaim the Holy Gospel worthily and well ; In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
The reading closes with that lyric that we express in song in “Here I am Lord” and many other hymns.
CCC: Is 6:1 1137; Is 6:6 332; Is 6:8 2584
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Isaiah 7:1-9
#390 Weekday Year II Context (Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah,
Rezin, king of Aram,
and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah,
went up to attack Jerusalem,
but they were not able to conquer it.
When word came to the house of David that Aram
was encamped in Ephraim,
the heart of the king and the heart of the people trembled,
as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.
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 of the fuller’s field, and say to him:
Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear;
let not your courage fail
before these two stumps of smoldering brands
the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans,
and of the son Remaliah,
because of the mischief that
Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah,
plots against you, saying,
“Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force,
and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.”
Thus says the Lord:
This shall not stand, it shall not be!
Damascus is the capital of Aram,
and Rezin is the head of Damascus;
Samaria is the capital of Ephraim,
and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria.
But within sixty years and five,
Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.
Unless your faith is firm
you shall not be firm!
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Commentary on Is 7:1-9
This selection from the book of the Prophet Isaiah describes a national crisis under the rule of King Ahaz. The situation is concisely as described in 2 Kings 16:5-9. An alliance had been formed between Aram and Israel (initially formed against Assyria), which threatens Jerusalem and throws the country into a crisis. The meeting between Isaiah and his son Shear-jashub with Ahaz has subtle significance. The son’s name translated means "a remnant will return," which implies that destruction will fall on the people, but some will be saved.
God’s message to King Ahaz through Isaiah’s oracle is to remain calm; it is only through complete faith in God that salvation can occur. (“This shall not stand, it shall not be!”) The final instruction, to stand firm placing absolute faith in God’s saving power, is problematic because the dates are probably not translated accurately. Scholars agree that the passage: “But within sixty years and five” was more likely intended to be “Yet six, nay five more years,”[11] a time frame which would have given Ahaz comfort. This summons is believed to be a pointed reminder of the oracle of Nathan in 2 Samuel 7: 12-17.
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Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
#545 Proper of Saints Context (Solemnity of the Annuciation, Mar 25)
#689B Proper of Saints Context (Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, Dec 10)
#707 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
#2A BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation of the Lord, Advent 2)
The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us!"
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Commentary on Is 7:10-14; 8:10
In the first part of this reading, the prophet attempts to reassure the king as Jerusalem comes under threat of attack from Syria. King Ahaz is offered a sign by the Prophet Isaiah. However, Ahaz refuses the sign because it would indicate that God was intervening on the prophet’s side and he did not want to accept that.
The sign that would be given, in spite of the King’s refusal, is the oracle we understand as referring to the perfect realization of the promise of a Davidic dynasty in the birth of the messiah – Christ Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary.
“The sign proposed by Isaiah was concerned with the preservation of Judah in the midst of distress (cf Isaiah 7:15, 17), but more especially with the fulfillment of God's earlier promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) in the coming of Immanuel (meaning, 'With us is God') as the ideal king (cf Isaiah 9:5-6; 11:1-5). The Church has always followed St. Matthew in seeing the transcendent fulfillment of this verse in Christ and his Virgin Mother.”[2]
"The child, the son, is the most significant part of the sign. If the prophecy refers to the son of Ahaz, the future King Hezekiah, it would be indicating that his birth will be a sign of divine protection, because it will mean that the dynasty will continue. If it refers to another child, not yet known, the prophet's words would mean that the child's birth could manifest hope that 'God was going to be with us,' and his reaching the age of discretion (v. 16) would indicate the advent of peace; the child's birth would, then, be the sign that 'God is with us.'" [17]
CCC: Is 7:14 497
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Isaiah 7:10-14
#10A Sundays A Context (4th Sunday of Advent A)
#196 Weekday I & II Context (December 20 of Advent)
The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
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Commentary on Is 7:10-14
Jerusalem is being attacked by two neighboring kings when Isaiah is commanded by God to go and speak to the Jewish king, Ahaz, cautioning him to have faith that God will protect Jerusalem. Ahaz is hypocritical in both his faith and his response, which is interpreted as cynical when he says: “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!”
Isaiah follows with his prophetic vision. He does not realize the import of his prediction. Most scholars agree, he thinks he is merely speaking of the rescue of Judah. “The sign proposed by Isaiah was concerned with the preservation of Judah in the midst of distress (cf. Isaiah 7:15, 17), but more especially with the fulfillment of God's earlier promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) in the coming of Emmanuel (meaning, "With us is God") as the ideal king (cf. Isaiah 9:5-6; 11:1-5). The Church has always followed St. Matthew in seeing the transcendent fulfillment of this verse in Christ and his Virgin Mother.”[2]
"The child, the son, is the most significant part of the sign. If the prophecy refers to the son of Ahaz, the future King Hezekiah, it would be indicating that his birth will be a sign of divine protection, because it will mean that the dynasty will continue. If it refers to another child, not yet known, the prophet's words would mean that the child's birth could manifest hope that 'God was going to be with us,' and his reaching the age of discretion (v. 16) would indicate the advent of peace; the child's birth would, then, be the sign that 'God is with us.'" [17]
CCC: Is 7:14 497
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Isaiah 8:23-9:3
#67A Sundays A Context (3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun
and the land of Naphtali;
but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,
the land west of the Jordan,
the District of the Gentiles.
Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:
for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
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Commentary on Is 8:23-9:3
This prophetic selection is quoted in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:15-16) by Jesus. It is part of the section of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah known as the “Immanuel Prophecies,” in which the oracle of Isaiah addresses the coming of Christ, the Messiah. In this instance it speaks of redemption of the pagan territory near the road to Damascus, and the great blessing that come upon the people and the land as a result.
"Some scholars believe that the entire oracle (1-6) is a liturgical piece excerpted from the ceremony of a royal accession. Every time that a Davidic king came to the throne and was hailed as an adopted son of God there was cause for rejoicing. On this occasion, the promises of an eternal covenant with David were reaffirmed and hopes were raised for that ideal king of the future who would perfectly realize the dynastic ideal. Therefore, the oracle does not concern any historical king, such as Ahaz or Hezekiah, but the ideal king who would introduce the definitive era of peace and justice. Once again, the prophetic perspective is focused not on a king of the present but on the ideal Davidic king, the Emmanuel of Isaiah 7:14." [24]
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Isaiah 9:1-6
#14ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Nativity of the Lord Midnight ABC)
#627 Proper of Saint Context (Queenship of the BVM Aug 22)
#707 Common Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
#887 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 14. For Peace and Justice, First Option)
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For every boot that tramped in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for flames.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
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Commentary on Is 9:1-6
It is presumed by some scholars that this oracle of Isaiah was developed as a liturgical piece, used to celebrate the ascension of a king to the throne of Israel. The prophet, however, speaks here of the “ideal or ultimate” king, Emmanuel [Immanuel] (see Isaiah 7:14), not a historical person, but a predicted future king; we of course see the messiah in hindsight. The symbolism describes freedom from enslavement (the image of a yoked beast of burden is commonly used in this context) as the taskmaster (enslaver) is cast off. There will be no more war ("For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames").
The oracle celebrates this future King and messiah as one who brings wisdom from God and peace for all times. The passage concludes identifying the source or lineage of this Christ as from David’s line and references his promised succession.
CCC: Is 9:5 2305
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Isaiah 9:1-3, 5-6
#5C BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, Christmas 5)
#29O-1 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of All Creation)
#33O-2 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Good Counsel)
#45O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace)
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
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Commentary on Is 9:1-3, 5-6
Some scholars presume scholars that this oracle of Isaiah was developed as a liturgical piece, used to celebrate the ascension of a king to the throne of Israel. The Prophet, however, speaks here of the “ideal or ultimate” king, Emmanuel [Immanuel] (see Isaiah 7:14), not a historical person, but a predicted future king (we of course see the messiah in hindsight). The symbolism describes freedom from enslavement (the image of a yoked beast of burden is commonly used in this context) as the taskmaster (enslaver) is cast off.
The oracle celebrates this future King and messiah as one who brings wisdom from God and peace for all times. The passage concludes identifying the source or lineage of this Christ as from David’s line and references his promised succession.
CCC: Is 9:5 2305
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Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16
#391 Weekday Year II Context (Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Thus says the Lord:
Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger,
my staff in wrath.
Against an impious nation I send him,
and against a people under my wrath I order him
To seize plunder, carry off loot,
and tread them down like the mud of the streets.
But this is not what he intends,
nor does he have this in mind;
Rather, it is in his heart to destroy,
to make an end of nations not a few.
For he says:
“By my own power I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd.
I have moved the boundaries of peoples,
their treasures I have pillaged,
and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned.
My hand has seized like a nest
the riches of nations;
As one takes eggs left alone,
so I took in all the earth;
No one fluttered a wing,
or opened a mouth, or chirped!”
Will the axe boast against him who hews with it?
Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it?
As if a rod could sway him who lifts it,
or a staff him who is not wood!
Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
will send among his fat ones leanness,
And instead of his glory there will be kindling
like the kindling of fire.
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Commentary on Is 10:5-7, 13b-16
In this passage from Isaiah, part of what is known as the “The Book of Emanuel,” we find a compilation of oracles from Isaiah probably referring to Assyria’s conquest of the Northern Kingdom in 622 BC. The oracle sees the Assyrians as God’s instrument, used to punish a people who turned away from him. The Assyrians are overly confident in their victories, which were apparently uncontested. (“My hand has seized like a nest the riches of nations; As one takes eggs left alone, so I took in all the earth; No one fluttered a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped!" In a nest protected, the mother bird would defend the nest with a commotion of activity.)
Completing the reading, Isaiah tells the Assyrians they have nothing to boast about (it was not by their might that they were successful). They were but a tool of the Lord. He uses analogy to show how foolish the boasting of a tool would be, when it is the skill of the person using it that accomplishes the task.
CCC: Is 10:5-15 304
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Isaiah 11:1-10
#4A Sundays in Advent Context (2nd Sunday of Advent A)
#176 Weekday Years I & II Context (Tuesday of the 1st Week of Advent)
On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
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Commentary on Is 11:1-10
Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the messiah with the first verse: “stump of Jesse,” King David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian exile. For the first time in Scripture, the prophet then presents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. [13] (Note also the reference to fullness. In Hebrew numerology the number seven is the perfect number.) In the Septuagint and the Vulgate, the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord.”
The description of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is followed with a list of the just and compassionate characteristics of the messianic rule. This is followed by a picture of universal peace under the messiah’s rule. Isaiah sees the return of the messianic king as predicting that the messiah will come from King David’s line and will ultimately bring great peace. The term used, “on all my holy mountain” indicates this peace is for all the faithful, not just those in Jerusalem.
CCC: Is 11:1-9 672; Is 11:1-2 712, 1831; Is 11:2 436, 536, 1286
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Isaiah 11:1-4a
#764 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 4. Confirmation, 1.)
On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
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Commentary on Is 11:1-4a
Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the messiah with the first verse; “stump of Jesse”, Kind David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian Exile. He follows with, for the first time in scripture, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit [13] (note also, the reference to fullness, in Hebrew numerology the number “7” is the perfect number.). In the Septuagint and the Vulgate the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord”.
CCC: Is 11:1-9 672; Is 11:1-2 712, 1831; Is 11:2 436, 536, 1286
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Isaiah 11:1-5, 10
#2A BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation of the Lord, Advent 2)
#I, 6 Context (Appendix to Special Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary, II)
On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Commentary on Is 11:1-5, 10
Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the messiah with the first verse; “stump of Jesse”, Kind David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian Exile. He follows with, for the first time in scripture, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit [13] (note also, the reference to fullness, in Hebrew numerology the number “7” is the perfect number.). In the Septuagint and the Vulgate the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord”.
Repeating the source of the messianic king coming from the line of King David, "the root of Jesse." The passage concludes with a clear statement that the messiah and the peace he brings is for all the faithful, not just those in Jerusalem.
CCC: Is 11:1-9 672; Is 11:1-2 712, 1831; Is 11:2 436, 536, 1286
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Isaiah 12:1, 2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
#41O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation)
R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
I give thanks, O LORD;
though you have been angry with me,
your anger has abated, and you have consoled me.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
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Commentary on Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
This hymn of praise is a profession of faith: “My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.” It also does something interesting in that it challenges those who profess their faith in the Lord to proclaim it in the world: “…among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.”
This canticle emphasizes the peace and confidence found in his servant, enjoying the salvation of God. He sings his praise to God and exhorts all of Israel to praise him as they see his constant presence among them in the blessings they receive.
CCC: Is 12:3 2561
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Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
#9C Solemnities C Context (3rd Sunday of Advent C)
R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
#21B Solemnities B Context (Baptism of the Lord)
#41ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)
#171B Solemnities B Context (Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus B)
#417 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time)
R. (1c) You have turned from your anger.
#475 Weekday Year II Context (Wednesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time)
#572 Proper of Saints Context (Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, May 31)
R. (6b) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
#985 Votive Mass Context (The Most Holy Name of Jesus, 1)
R. Praise the Lord and call upon his name.
#997 Votive Mass Context (The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1.)
#3A BVM Context (The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Advent 3)
R. (6b) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
#27O-1 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church, III)
R. (6b) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
#31O-2 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Fountain of Salvation, I)
R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
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Commentary on Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
This hymn of praise is a profession of faith: “My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.” It is also interesting in that it challenges those who profess their faith in the Lord to proclaim it in the world: “among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.”
This canticle emphasizes the peace and confidence found in his servant, enjoying the salvation of God. He sings his praise to God and exhorts all of Israel to praise him as they see his constant presence among them in the blessings they receive.
CCC: Is 12:3 2561
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Isaiah 22:19-23
#121A Solemnities A Context (21st Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace:
“I will thrust you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
I will clothe him with your robe,
and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family.”
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Commentary on Is 22:19-23
Occasionally the prophets denounced individuals who obstructed their work (see Amos 7:14-17 and Jeremiah 20:1-6). This is one of those cases. Shebna strongly encouraged King Hezekiah to ask Egypt for aid in attacking Assyria, which went against Isaiah’s policy of non-involvement. Here the prophet envisions a time when Shebna is stripped of his office as steward of Jerusalem and that trust bestowed upon another. Placed in context this passage is important because it gives a sense of the high honor associated with being given the keys to a place in biblical times (Key: symbol of authority, see also Matthew 16:19; Revelation 3:7).
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Isaiah 25:6-10a
#142A Sundays in Ordinary Time Context (28th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)-
#177 Weekday Years I &II Context (Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent)
#963 Mass for Various Needs Context (IV. For Various Needs, 31. For the Grace of a Happy Death)
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
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Commentary on Is 25:6-10a
Isaiah once more envisions the messianic kingdom where there is no enmity between peoples, there is no want, and the whole world rejoices in great peace. This reading is favored at funeral liturgies because of its image of the heavenly kingdom. There is a clear sense of anticipation, appropriate for the Advent season as the second coming is looked for as well as the Lord’s nativity.
The prophet has, in the previous chapter, started a discourse about the apocalypse, predicting the destruction of Israel. In this hymn, he envisions the salvation God will provide for the faithful. The imagery of the Lord’s banquet used in this psalm, coupled with clear references to the messianic promises (“he will destroy death forever") and the idea that God will come in the end with salvation, will be remembered later at the Last Supper (see Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:25, and Luke 22:18). The eternal nature of the invitation to participate in this banquet is clear as is the universal nature of the call (“the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples”).
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Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9
#668^ Proper of Saints Context (The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, Nov 2)
#1011 Mass for the Dead Context (Mass for the Dead, 5.)
#1017 Mass for the Dead Context (Funerals for Baptized Children, 1.)
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
the reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
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Commentary on Is 25:6-10a
Isaiah once more envisions the messianic kingdom where there is no enmity between peoples, there is not want, and the whole world rejoices in that great peace. This reading is favored at funeral liturgies because of its image of the heavenly kingdom. There is a clear sense of anticipation appropriate for the Advent season as the second coming is looked for as well as the Lord’s Nativity.
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Isaiah 25:6a, 7-8b
#1023 Mass for the Dead Context (Funerals of Children Who Have Died Before Baptism, 1.)
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces.
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Commentary on Is 25:6a, 7-8b
Isaiah once more envisions the messianic kingdom where there is no enmity between peoples, there is not want, and the whole world rejoices in that great peace. This reading is favored at funeral liturgies because of its image of the heavenly kingdom and the consolation of God.
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Isaiah 26:1-6
#178 Weekday Years 1 & 2 Context (Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent)-
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:
“A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.”
Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.
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Commentary on Is 26:1-6
This selection from the book of Isaiah is part of a longer canticle of thanksgiving (Isaiah 25:1-27:1). It celebrates the ultimate victory of God as if it had already taken place. The vision of a secure and indomitable fortress, protected by faith in God, is portrayed. That foundation of faith is like a rock which will endure forever. The passage also contains a warning, as the prophet sees cities not founded on that same rock being destroyed, trampled by the poor for whom God has special care.
“The thanksgiving song will be sung in the future. This text resembles psalms of thanksgiving and praise in the book of Psalms, such as Psalms 117 and 118. The song contrasts the security of a mighty city (v.1), presumably Jerusalem, and the downfall of a secure city (v.5; better ‘exalted city’), which is not identified and is likely to be symbolic of oppressive nations generally.” [27]
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Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
#392 Weekday Year II Context (Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O Lord,
we look to you;
Your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
When your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world’s inhabitants learn justice.
O Lord, you mete out peace to us,
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.
O Lord, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your chastising.
As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O Lord.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth.
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Commentary on Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
This reading is part of the "Apocalypse of Isaiah." It is a personal dialogue with God in the form of a prayer or sapiential (wisdom) psalm [12]. The oracle envisions the coming devastation of Israel, and the salvation of the remnant. In the prophet’s vision, in this selection he sees Yahweh the vindicator come to the faithful and lift them up. Yet those who are far from the Lord suffer from the pain of judgment expressed in metaphor as the labor of childbirth, childbirth that does not yield life (“We conceived and writhed in pain, giving birth to wind”).
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Isaiah 29:17-24
#179 Weekday Years I & II Context (Friday of the 1st Week of Advent)
Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
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Commentary on Is 29:17-24
This selection from Isaiah is probably a proverb of redemption. We hear the language of messianic hope, as the oracle foresees a time when unjust rulers will be cast down and those who perjure themselves making false accusations (“those whose mere word condemns a man”), will be discredited. God, who redeemed Abraham (by converting him from idol worship) will save all of the faithful through the Messiah.
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Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
#180 Weekdays I & II Context (Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent)-
Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.
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Commentary on Is 30:19-21, 23-26
This reading from Isaiah gives hope to those who are without hope, as the prophet speaks of the patience and mercy of the Father. God, says the prophet, hears the cry of his faithful and provides for them. The tone here, using the word "teacher," links this passage to the Gospels, where sixty-five (65) times Jesus assumes that title and admits to that role (John 13:13). The prophet foresees a time of great prosperity when the faithful hear the Lord and obey.
#231 Weekday Years I & II Context (Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent)
Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist,
the sword shall consume you:
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!
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Commentary on Is 1:10, 16-20
This reading from the beginning of the Book of Isaiah contains one of what are called the “Lawsuit Oracles." They are so called because they are framed the same way as charges brought before Jewish courts. In this reading, the charge leveled at his audience (probably at a feast day) is a reference to the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The command that God sends through the prophet is for the people to wash themselves clean, not in the physical sense but in the spiritual sense. Repent from the sin and return to God’s way. Note here the sin is not simply spiritual but through actions. In the same way, repentance is required through action not merely prayer.
The reading concludes with the consequences of the choices God places before them. If they accept the penitential role and return to God, they will be forgiven and good things will be theirs. If, on the other hand, they do not, eternal death awaits them.
CCC: Is 1:10-20 2100; Is 1:17 1435; Is 1:16-17 1430
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Isaiah 1:10-17
#389 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Hear the word of the Lord,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the Lord.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.
When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
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Commentary on Is 1:10-17
This is the introductory oracle (vision) of the Prophet Isaiah (the Book of Judgment, as it is called by scholars). It is set in the time of the defeat of the northern kingdom by Assyria (722 BC), and the threat to Jerusalem some years later. Having previously compared the state of religious fidelity of Israel and Judah to Sodom and Gomorrah, here the prophet continues to use that comparison to express the Lord’s displeasure over their attempts to appease him through religious acts, while the people's actions and behaviors are wicked (“Your hands are full of blood”). He calls the people to repent and return to the values of the Law of Moses.
CCC: Is 1:10-20 2100; Is 1:16-17 1430; Is 1:17 1435
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Isaiah 2:1-5
Note: In Cycle A the Monday Weekday reading is switched to Isaiah 4:2-6.
#1A Solemnities A Context (1st Sunday of of Advent A)
#175 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the First Week of Advent)
#872 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 11. For the Evangelization of Peoples, 1.)
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
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Commentary on Is 2:1-5
This selection presents Isaiah’s vision of a time of unity, the great messianic destiny. He sees a time when all peoples will recognize God as the one true God and flock to his call. (Isaiah uses the “highest mountain” metaphor in the Hebrew context. High places were places closest to God. Mountain tops were frequently places where altars were built. “Highest” would then be above all others.) The “highest mountain” means that all other beliefs become subservient to the One God. He sees the unity of all the nations under one God and one Messiah.
The prophet sees the Law of the Lord governing all peoples, and a time of great peace as a result of the universal unity of people in faithfulness to God. “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” Isaiah implores the faithful of the house of Jacob (the Israelites) to fulfill his vision quickly.
CCC: Is 2:2-5 762; Is 2:2-4 64; Is 2:4 2317
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Isaiah 4:2-6*
#175 Weekday Year I, II Context (Monday of the 1st Week of Advent)
On that day,
The branch of the Lord will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.
When the Lord washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the Lord create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the Lord’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
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Commentary on Is 4:2-6
The Prophet envisions a time when the Lord will give his divine blessing to the faithful who patiently await the moment of God’s great glory. “The 'branch of the Lord' (v. 2) is a title belonging to the king in the line of David (cf. Isaiah 11:1). It is not only the 'remnant' of Israel that will survive and see the glory of the purified Jerusalem, but also the messiah, David's son.”[1] This section of Isaiah’s oracle is seen as anticipating the fulfillment of the messianic promise in Jesus Christ.
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Isaiah 5:1-7
#139A Solemnities A Context (27th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Let me now sing of my friend,
my friend's song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
he spaded it, cleared it of stones,
and planted the choicest vines;
within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant;
he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
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Commentary on Is 5:1-7
This selection marks the beginning of what is known as the “Song of the Vineyard.” Using the analogy of vineyard as the “Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,” the prophet first describes how the people had been prepared by the law and the prophets. The implication is that all preparations had been made to produce God’s intended result. However, the “stiff-necked” people turned away from God “but see, bloodshed![he looked] for justice, but hark, the outcry!” Isaiah warns the people that God will cause the house of Israel to be destroyed. This is a clear reference to the Babylonian Exile which took place some 100-200 years following this prophecy.
CCC: Is 5:1-7 755
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Isaiah 6:1-8
#388 Weekdays Year II Context (Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
#687 Proper of Saints Context (St. Nicholas Dec 6)
#719 Commons Context (Common of Pastors)
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces,
with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft.
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!" they cried, one to the other.
"All the earth is filled with his glory!"
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it and said,
"See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" "Here I am," I said, "send me!"
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Commentary on Is 6:1-8
The Prophet Isaiah tells us the story of his call “in the year King Uzziah died” (742 BC). The prophet first relates his belief that he will die, since it was the common belief that one who had not been purified could not see the face of God and live. This selection from Isaiah (an introduction to the “Book of Emmanuel”) describes the prophet’s first vision of his encounter with God. It is set in the temple in Jerusalem, probably on a high holy day. The six winged “seraphim” (literally “the burning ones”) are images common in art of the ancient Near East, and represent angelic messengers. “Each has six wings. Reverence for the divine majesty causes them to veil their faces with two wings; modesty, to veil their extremities in similar fashion; alacrity in God's service, to extend two wings in preparation for flight.”[10] One of these seraphim flew to him with a coal from the fire at the altar (there would have been a fire for burning the holocaust – a sacrificial offering completely burnt as opposed to simply slaughtered).
With that coal, the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips in symbolic cleansing, making the prophet worthy to proclaim God’s word. The Church remembers this event with the priest’s blessing of himself or the deacon with the words: “May the Lord open my (your) lips that I (you) may worthily proclaim the Holy Gospel.”
The reference to God in the prefix, “Holy, holy, holy,” describes the Father as perfect and omnipotent. (Note: in ancient Hebrew, there were no words "Holier" or "Holiest." In order to express that thought, it was necessary to repeat the phrase three times to express the ultimate state of perfection. This literary form is carried into the Roman Rite liturgy today.) We hear the prophet lament that he is “doomed,” since it was believed that such an encounter with God would be fatal (Genesis 32:31; Exodus 33:20; Judges 13:22).
This encounter with God is important in understanding Isaiah’s entire mission and purpose. (“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ ’Here I am,’ I said; ‘send me!’”)
CCC: Is 6:1 1137; Is 6:2-3 1138; Is 6:3 2809; Is 6:5 208, 2584; Is 6:6 332; Is 6:8 2584
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Isaiah 6: l-2a, 3-8
#75C Solemnities C Context (5th Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
#775 Ritual Mass Context (III. For the Admission to Candidacy for the Diaconate and the Priesthood, Third Option)
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above.
They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
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Commentary on Is 6:1-2a, 3-8
The Prophet Isaiah tells us the story of his call: “In the year King Uzziah died” (742 B.C.). The prophet first relates his belief that he will die, since it is the common belief that no one who had not been purified could see the face of God and live. Then one of the seraphim took a coal from the fire at the altar (there would have been a fire for burning the holocaust, a sacrificial offering completely burnt as opposed to simply slaughtered), and flew to him.
With that coal, the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips in symbolic cleansing, making the prophet worthy to proclaim God’s word. The Church remembers this event with the priest’s blessing of himself or the deacon before proclaiming the Gospel at Mass with the words: “May the Lord open my lips that I may proclaim the Holy Gospel worthily and well, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
The reading closes with the phrase that has become a lyric that we express in the song: “Here I am Lord” and many other hymns.
CCC: Is 6:1 1137; Is 6:2-3 1138; Is 6:3 2809; Is 6:5 208, 2584; Is 6:6 332; Is 6:8 2584
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Isaiah 6:1, 6-8
#857 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 8. For Vocations to Holy Orders or Religious Life, 5.)
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
One of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
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Commentary on Is 6:1, 6-8
The Prophet Isaiah tells us the story of his call “In the year King Uzziah died” (742 B.C.) One of the seraphim stationed in the court of heaven flew to him and, using a coal from the fire at the altar (there would have been a fire for burning the holocaust – a sacrificial offering completely burnt as opposed to simply slaughtered).
With that coal, the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips in symbolic cleansing, making the prophet worthy to proclaim God’s word. The Church remembers this event with the Priest’s blessing of himself or the Deacon with the words – “May the Lord open my lips that I may proclaim the Holy Gospel worthily and well ; In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
The reading closes with that lyric that we express in song in “Here I am Lord” and many other hymns.
CCC: Is 6:1 1137; Is 6:6 332; Is 6:8 2584
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Isaiah 7:1-9
#390 Weekday Year II Context (Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah,
Rezin, king of Aram,
and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah,
went up to attack Jerusalem,
but they were not able to conquer it.
When word came to the house of David that Aram
was encamped in Ephraim,
the heart of the king and the heart of the people trembled,
as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.
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 of the fuller’s field, and say to him:
Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear;
let not your courage fail
before these two stumps of smoldering brands
the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans,
and of the son Remaliah,
because of the mischief that
Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah,
plots against you, saying,
“Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force,
and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.”
Thus says the Lord:
This shall not stand, it shall not be!
Damascus is the capital of Aram,
and Rezin is the head of Damascus;
Samaria is the capital of Ephraim,
and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria.
But within sixty years and five,
Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.
Unless your faith is firm
you shall not be firm!
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Commentary on Is 7:1-9
This selection from the book of the Prophet Isaiah describes a national crisis under the rule of King Ahaz. The situation is concisely as described in 2 Kings 16:5-9. An alliance had been formed between Aram and Israel (initially formed against Assyria), which threatens Jerusalem and throws the country into a crisis. The meeting between Isaiah and his son Shear-jashub with Ahaz has subtle significance. The son’s name translated means "a remnant will return," which implies that destruction will fall on the people, but some will be saved.
God’s message to King Ahaz through Isaiah’s oracle is to remain calm; it is only through complete faith in God that salvation can occur. (“This shall not stand, it shall not be!”) The final instruction, to stand firm placing absolute faith in God’s saving power, is problematic because the dates are probably not translated accurately. Scholars agree that the passage: “But within sixty years and five” was more likely intended to be “Yet six, nay five more years,”[11] a time frame which would have given Ahaz comfort. This summons is believed to be a pointed reminder of the oracle of Nathan in 2 Samuel 7: 12-17.
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Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
#545 Proper of Saints Context (Solemnity of the Annuciation, Mar 25)
#689B Proper of Saints Context (Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, Dec 10)
#707 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
#2A BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation of the Lord, Advent 2)
The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us!"
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Commentary on Is 7:10-14; 8:10
In the first part of this reading, the prophet attempts to reassure the king as Jerusalem comes under threat of attack from Syria. King Ahaz is offered a sign by the Prophet Isaiah. However, Ahaz refuses the sign because it would indicate that God was intervening on the prophet’s side and he did not want to accept that.
The sign that would be given, in spite of the King’s refusal, is the oracle we understand as referring to the perfect realization of the promise of a Davidic dynasty in the birth of the messiah – Christ Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary.
“The sign proposed by Isaiah was concerned with the preservation of Judah in the midst of distress (cf Isaiah 7:15, 17), but more especially with the fulfillment of God's earlier promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) in the coming of Immanuel (meaning, 'With us is God') as the ideal king (cf Isaiah 9:5-6; 11:1-5). The Church has always followed St. Matthew in seeing the transcendent fulfillment of this verse in Christ and his Virgin Mother.”[2]
"The child, the son, is the most significant part of the sign. If the prophecy refers to the son of Ahaz, the future King Hezekiah, it would be indicating that his birth will be a sign of divine protection, because it will mean that the dynasty will continue. If it refers to another child, not yet known, the prophet's words would mean that the child's birth could manifest hope that 'God was going to be with us,' and his reaching the age of discretion (v. 16) would indicate the advent of peace; the child's birth would, then, be the sign that 'God is with us.'" [17]
CCC: Is 7:14 497
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Isaiah 7:10-14
#10A Sundays A Context (4th Sunday of Advent A)
#196 Weekday I & II Context (December 20 of Advent)
The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
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Commentary on Is 7:10-14
Jerusalem is being attacked by two neighboring kings when Isaiah is commanded by God to go and speak to the Jewish king, Ahaz, cautioning him to have faith that God will protect Jerusalem. Ahaz is hypocritical in both his faith and his response, which is interpreted as cynical when he says: “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!”
Isaiah follows with his prophetic vision. He does not realize the import of his prediction. Most scholars agree, he thinks he is merely speaking of the rescue of Judah. “The sign proposed by Isaiah was concerned with the preservation of Judah in the midst of distress (cf. Isaiah 7:15, 17), but more especially with the fulfillment of God's earlier promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) in the coming of Emmanuel (meaning, "With us is God") as the ideal king (cf. Isaiah 9:5-6; 11:1-5). The Church has always followed St. Matthew in seeing the transcendent fulfillment of this verse in Christ and his Virgin Mother.”[2]
"The child, the son, is the most significant part of the sign. If the prophecy refers to the son of Ahaz, the future King Hezekiah, it would be indicating that his birth will be a sign of divine protection, because it will mean that the dynasty will continue. If it refers to another child, not yet known, the prophet's words would mean that the child's birth could manifest hope that 'God was going to be with us,' and his reaching the age of discretion (v. 16) would indicate the advent of peace; the child's birth would, then, be the sign that 'God is with us.'" [17]
CCC: Is 7:14 497
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Isaiah 8:23-9:3
#67A Sundays A Context (3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun
and the land of Naphtali;
but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,
the land west of the Jordan,
the District of the Gentiles.
Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:
for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
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Commentary on Is 8:23-9:3
This prophetic selection is quoted in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:15-16) by Jesus. It is part of the section of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah known as the “Immanuel Prophecies,” in which the oracle of Isaiah addresses the coming of Christ, the Messiah. In this instance it speaks of redemption of the pagan territory near the road to Damascus, and the great blessing that come upon the people and the land as a result.
"Some scholars believe that the entire oracle (1-6) is a liturgical piece excerpted from the ceremony of a royal accession. Every time that a Davidic king came to the throne and was hailed as an adopted son of God there was cause for rejoicing. On this occasion, the promises of an eternal covenant with David were reaffirmed and hopes were raised for that ideal king of the future who would perfectly realize the dynastic ideal. Therefore, the oracle does not concern any historical king, such as Ahaz or Hezekiah, but the ideal king who would introduce the definitive era of peace and justice. Once again, the prophetic perspective is focused not on a king of the present but on the ideal Davidic king, the Emmanuel of Isaiah 7:14." [24]
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Isaiah 9:1-6
#14ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Nativity of the Lord Midnight ABC)
#627 Proper of Saint Context (Queenship of the BVM Aug 22)
#707 Common Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
#887 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 14. For Peace and Justice, First Option)
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For every boot that tramped in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for flames.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
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Commentary on Is 9:1-6
It is presumed by some scholars that this oracle of Isaiah was developed as a liturgical piece, used to celebrate the ascension of a king to the throne of Israel. The prophet, however, speaks here of the “ideal or ultimate” king, Emmanuel [Immanuel] (see Isaiah 7:14), not a historical person, but a predicted future king; we of course see the messiah in hindsight. The symbolism describes freedom from enslavement (the image of a yoked beast of burden is commonly used in this context) as the taskmaster (enslaver) is cast off. There will be no more war ("For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames").
The oracle celebrates this future King and messiah as one who brings wisdom from God and peace for all times. The passage concludes identifying the source or lineage of this Christ as from David’s line and references his promised succession.
CCC: Is 9:5 2305
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Isaiah 9:1-3, 5-6
#5C BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, Christmas 5)
#29O-1 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of All Creation)
#33O-2 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Good Counsel)
#45O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace)
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
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Commentary on Is 9:1-3, 5-6
Some scholars presume scholars that this oracle of Isaiah was developed as a liturgical piece, used to celebrate the ascension of a king to the throne of Israel. The Prophet, however, speaks here of the “ideal or ultimate” king, Emmanuel [Immanuel] (see Isaiah 7:14), not a historical person, but a predicted future king (we of course see the messiah in hindsight). The symbolism describes freedom from enslavement (the image of a yoked beast of burden is commonly used in this context) as the taskmaster (enslaver) is cast off.
The oracle celebrates this future King and messiah as one who brings wisdom from God and peace for all times. The passage concludes identifying the source or lineage of this Christ as from David’s line and references his promised succession.
CCC: Is 9:5 2305
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Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16
#391 Weekday Year II Context (Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Thus says the Lord:
Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger,
my staff in wrath.
Against an impious nation I send him,
and against a people under my wrath I order him
To seize plunder, carry off loot,
and tread them down like the mud of the streets.
But this is not what he intends,
nor does he have this in mind;
Rather, it is in his heart to destroy,
to make an end of nations not a few.
For he says:
“By my own power I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd.
I have moved the boundaries of peoples,
their treasures I have pillaged,
and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned.
My hand has seized like a nest
the riches of nations;
As one takes eggs left alone,
so I took in all the earth;
No one fluttered a wing,
or opened a mouth, or chirped!”
Will the axe boast against him who hews with it?
Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it?
As if a rod could sway him who lifts it,
or a staff him who is not wood!
Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
will send among his fat ones leanness,
And instead of his glory there will be kindling
like the kindling of fire.
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Commentary on Is 10:5-7, 13b-16
In this passage from Isaiah, part of what is known as the “The Book of Emanuel,” we find a compilation of oracles from Isaiah probably referring to Assyria’s conquest of the Northern Kingdom in 622 BC. The oracle sees the Assyrians as God’s instrument, used to punish a people who turned away from him. The Assyrians are overly confident in their victories, which were apparently uncontested. (“My hand has seized like a nest the riches of nations; As one takes eggs left alone, so I took in all the earth; No one fluttered a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped!" In a nest protected, the mother bird would defend the nest with a commotion of activity.)
Completing the reading, Isaiah tells the Assyrians they have nothing to boast about (it was not by their might that they were successful). They were but a tool of the Lord. He uses analogy to show how foolish the boasting of a tool would be, when it is the skill of the person using it that accomplishes the task.
CCC: Is 10:5-15 304
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Isaiah 11:1-10
#4A Sundays in Advent Context (2nd Sunday of Advent A)
#176 Weekday Years I & II Context (Tuesday of the 1st Week of Advent)
On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
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Commentary on Is 11:1-10
Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the messiah with the first verse: “stump of Jesse,” King David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian exile. For the first time in Scripture, the prophet then presents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. [13] (Note also the reference to fullness. In Hebrew numerology the number seven is the perfect number.) In the Septuagint and the Vulgate, the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord.”
The description of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is followed with a list of the just and compassionate characteristics of the messianic rule. This is followed by a picture of universal peace under the messiah’s rule. Isaiah sees the return of the messianic king as predicting that the messiah will come from King David’s line and will ultimately bring great peace. The term used, “on all my holy mountain” indicates this peace is for all the faithful, not just those in Jerusalem.
CCC: Is 11:1-9 672; Is 11:1-2 712, 1831; Is 11:2 436, 536, 1286
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Isaiah 11:1-4a
#764 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 4. Confirmation, 1.)
On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
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Commentary on Is 11:1-4a
Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the messiah with the first verse; “stump of Jesse”, Kind David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian Exile. He follows with, for the first time in scripture, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit [13] (note also, the reference to fullness, in Hebrew numerology the number “7” is the perfect number.). In the Septuagint and the Vulgate the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord”.
CCC: Is 11:1-9 672; Is 11:1-2 712, 1831; Is 11:2 436, 536, 1286
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Isaiah 11:1-5, 10
#2A BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation of the Lord, Advent 2)
#I, 6 Context (Appendix to Special Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary, II)
On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
Commentary on Is 11:1-5, 10
Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the messiah with the first verse; “stump of Jesse”, Kind David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian Exile. He follows with, for the first time in scripture, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit [13] (note also, the reference to fullness, in Hebrew numerology the number “7” is the perfect number.). In the Septuagint and the Vulgate the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord”.
Repeating the source of the messianic king coming from the line of King David, "the root of Jesse." The passage concludes with a clear statement that the messiah and the peace he brings is for all the faithful, not just those in Jerusalem.
CCC: Is 11:1-9 672; Is 11:1-2 712, 1831; Is 11:2 436, 536, 1286
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Isaiah 12:1, 2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
#41O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation)
R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
I give thanks, O LORD;
though you have been angry with me,
your anger has abated, and you have consoled me.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
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Commentary on Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
This hymn of praise is a profession of faith: “My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.” It also does something interesting in that it challenges those who profess their faith in the Lord to proclaim it in the world: “…among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.”
This canticle emphasizes the peace and confidence found in his servant, enjoying the salvation of God. He sings his praise to God and exhorts all of Israel to praise him as they see his constant presence among them in the blessings they receive.
CCC: Is 12:3 2561
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Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
#9C Solemnities C Context (3rd Sunday of Advent C)
R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
#21B Solemnities B Context (Baptism of the Lord)
#41ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)
#171B Solemnities B Context (Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus B)
#417 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time)
R. (1c) You have turned from your anger.
#475 Weekday Year II Context (Wednesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time)
#572 Proper of Saints Context (Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, May 31)
R. (6b) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
#985 Votive Mass Context (The Most Holy Name of Jesus, 1)
R. Praise the Lord and call upon his name.
#997 Votive Mass Context (The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1.)
#3A BVM Context (The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Advent 3)
R. (6b) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
#27O-1 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church, III)
R. (6b) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
#31O-2 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Fountain of Salvation, I)
R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
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Commentary on Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
This hymn of praise is a profession of faith: “My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.” It is also interesting in that it challenges those who profess their faith in the Lord to proclaim it in the world: “among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.”
This canticle emphasizes the peace and confidence found in his servant, enjoying the salvation of God. He sings his praise to God and exhorts all of Israel to praise him as they see his constant presence among them in the blessings they receive.
CCC: Is 12:3 2561
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Isaiah 22:19-23
#121A Solemnities A Context (21st Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace:
“I will thrust you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
I will clothe him with your robe,
and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family.”
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Commentary on Is 22:19-23
Occasionally the prophets denounced individuals who obstructed their work (see Amos 7:14-17 and Jeremiah 20:1-6). This is one of those cases. Shebna strongly encouraged King Hezekiah to ask Egypt for aid in attacking Assyria, which went against Isaiah’s policy of non-involvement. Here the prophet envisions a time when Shebna is stripped of his office as steward of Jerusalem and that trust bestowed upon another. Placed in context this passage is important because it gives a sense of the high honor associated with being given the keys to a place in biblical times (Key: symbol of authority, see also Matthew 16:19; Revelation 3:7).
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Isaiah 25:6-10a
#142A Sundays in Ordinary Time Context (28th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)-
#177 Weekday Years I &II Context (Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent)
#963 Mass for Various Needs Context (IV. For Various Needs, 31. For the Grace of a Happy Death)
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
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Commentary on Is 25:6-10a
Isaiah once more envisions the messianic kingdom where there is no enmity between peoples, there is no want, and the whole world rejoices in great peace. This reading is favored at funeral liturgies because of its image of the heavenly kingdom. There is a clear sense of anticipation, appropriate for the Advent season as the second coming is looked for as well as the Lord’s nativity.
The prophet has, in the previous chapter, started a discourse about the apocalypse, predicting the destruction of Israel. In this hymn, he envisions the salvation God will provide for the faithful. The imagery of the Lord’s banquet used in this psalm, coupled with clear references to the messianic promises (“he will destroy death forever") and the idea that God will come in the end with salvation, will be remembered later at the Last Supper (see Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:25, and Luke 22:18). The eternal nature of the invitation to participate in this banquet is clear as is the universal nature of the call (“the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples”).
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Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9
#668^ Proper of Saints Context (The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, Nov 2)
#1011 Mass for the Dead Context (Mass for the Dead, 5.)
#1017 Mass for the Dead Context (Funerals for Baptized Children, 1.)
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
the reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
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Commentary on Is 25:6-10a
Isaiah once more envisions the messianic kingdom where there is no enmity between peoples, there is not want, and the whole world rejoices in that great peace. This reading is favored at funeral liturgies because of its image of the heavenly kingdom. There is a clear sense of anticipation appropriate for the Advent season as the second coming is looked for as well as the Lord’s Nativity.
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Isaiah 25:6a, 7-8b
#1023 Mass for the Dead Context (Funerals of Children Who Have Died Before Baptism, 1.)
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces.
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Commentary on Is 25:6a, 7-8b
Isaiah once more envisions the messianic kingdom where there is no enmity between peoples, there is not want, and the whole world rejoices in that great peace. This reading is favored at funeral liturgies because of its image of the heavenly kingdom and the consolation of God.
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Isaiah 26:1-6
#178 Weekday Years 1 & 2 Context (Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent)-
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:
“A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.”
Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.
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Commentary on Is 26:1-6
This selection from the book of Isaiah is part of a longer canticle of thanksgiving (Isaiah 25:1-27:1). It celebrates the ultimate victory of God as if it had already taken place. The vision of a secure and indomitable fortress, protected by faith in God, is portrayed. That foundation of faith is like a rock which will endure forever. The passage also contains a warning, as the prophet sees cities not founded on that same rock being destroyed, trampled by the poor for whom God has special care.
“The thanksgiving song will be sung in the future. This text resembles psalms of thanksgiving and praise in the book of Psalms, such as Psalms 117 and 118. The song contrasts the security of a mighty city (v.1), presumably Jerusalem, and the downfall of a secure city (v.5; better ‘exalted city’), which is not identified and is likely to be symbolic of oppressive nations generally.” [27]
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Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
#392 Weekday Year II Context (Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O Lord,
we look to you;
Your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
When your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world’s inhabitants learn justice.
O Lord, you mete out peace to us,
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.
O Lord, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your chastising.
As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O Lord.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth.
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Commentary on Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
This reading is part of the "Apocalypse of Isaiah." It is a personal dialogue with God in the form of a prayer or sapiential (wisdom) psalm [12]. The oracle envisions the coming devastation of Israel, and the salvation of the remnant. In the prophet’s vision, in this selection he sees Yahweh the vindicator come to the faithful and lift them up. Yet those who are far from the Lord suffer from the pain of judgment expressed in metaphor as the labor of childbirth, childbirth that does not yield life (“We conceived and writhed in pain, giving birth to wind”).
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Isaiah 29:17-24
#179 Weekday Years I & II Context (Friday of the 1st Week of Advent)
Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
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Commentary on Is 29:17-24
This selection from Isaiah is probably a proverb of redemption. We hear the language of messianic hope, as the oracle foresees a time when unjust rulers will be cast down and those who perjure themselves making false accusations (“those whose mere word condemns a man”), will be discredited. God, who redeemed Abraham (by converting him from idol worship) will save all of the faithful through the Messiah.
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Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
#180 Weekdays I & II Context (Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent)-
Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.
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Commentary on Is 30:19-21, 23-26
This reading from Isaiah gives hope to those who are without hope, as the prophet speaks of the patience and mercy of the Father. God, says the prophet, hears the cry of his faithful and provides for them. The tone here, using the word "teacher," links this passage to the Gospels, where sixty-five (65) times Jesus assumes that title and admits to that role (John 13:13). The prophet foresees a time of great prosperity when the faithful hear the Lord and obey.
“Isaiah’s impassioned appeal to Jerusalem. He is adamant that God wants nothing more than to answer the prayers of his people in Zion (30:19) to send blessings upon them (30:23) and to heal their wounds (30:26). They have only to put their trust in him (30:18) and to discard their worthless idols (30:22) to receive these mercies.” [28]
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Isaiah 32:15-18
#882 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country or a City or For those Who Serve in Public Office or For the Congress Or For the President Or For the Progress of Peoples, 8.)
#887 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 14. For Peace and Justice, Second Option)
In those days;
The spirit from on high
will be poured out on us.
Then will the desert become an orchard
and the orchard be regarded as a forest.
Right will dwell in the desert
and justice abide in the orchard.
Justice will bring about peace;
right will produce calm and security.
My people will live in peaceful country,
in secure dwellings and quiet resting places.
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Commentary on Is 32:15-18
This section of Isaiah contains various oracles. This selection deals with the ideal order to be put in place by the coming messiah. An outpouring of God's spirit will transform the region bringing justice and peace, hallmarks of the Messianic Era.
"Peace is not merely the absence of war; nor can it be reduced solely to the maintenance of a balance of power between enemies; nor is it brought about by dictatorship. Instead, it is rightly and appropriately called an enterprise of justice. Peace results from that order structured into human society by its divine Founder, and actualized by men as they thirst after ever greater justice. The common good of humanity finds its ultimate meaning in the eternal law. But since the cncrete demands of the common good are constantly changing as time goes on, peace is never attained once and for all, but must be built up ceaselessly" (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 78).[14]
CCC: Is 32:17 2304
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Isaiah 35:1-10
#181 Weekdays I & II Context (Monday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
#790 Ritual Mass Context (V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying, I. Anointing of the Sick, 7.)
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water;
The abode where jackals lurk
will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.
A highway will be there,
called the holy way;
No one unclean may pass over it,
nor fools go astray on it.
No lion will be there,
nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it.
It is for those with a journey to make,
and on it the redeemed will walk.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
They will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
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Commentary on Is 35:1-10
This selection is a prophetic vision of the restoration of Israel following the Babylonian exile. It is also seen by the Hebrew people as a vision of the land redeemed by the coming Messiah. Those who are most afflicted, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute, will be the first to experience the saving grace of God. Christians see it as the prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.
"v. 5. eyes of the blind be opened: The most unfortunate among the exiled will be among the first to share these blessings (see Matthew 11:5 for a sign that the Messianic age has arrived). v. 8. The "way" is holy because it leads to Zion, the holy city. v. 9. The "redeemed" are those who are being brought out of exile. They have been ransomed from bondage as had their forefathers at the time of the Exodus. The NT (John 6:48-51; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Hebrews 12:18-24) understands the coming of Christ in terms of a new and definitive Exodus. Note that the Exodus from Egypt is a type both for the return from Exile (OT) and for salvation through Christ (NT)." [18]
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Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10
#7A Sundays A Context (3rd Sunday of Advent)
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
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Commentary on Is 35:1-6a, 10
The Prophet Isaiah envisions the beauty of the land as the people of Israel return from the Babylonian exile for his contemporaries. The dignity and strength of those exiled will be restored: "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing." For later generations this is seen as a vision of the coming of the messiah, who comes with healing hands to lift up the poor and those seen as punished by God.
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Isaiah 35:4-7a
#128B Solemnities B Context (23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
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Commentary on Is 35:4-7a
This joyous outburst from the prophet looks forward to the restoration of those exiled (similar in tone to Isaiah 40:1-11). The oracle sees the time of salvation marked by events traditionally associated with the predicted arrival of the messiah. The passage is quoted or paraphrased in both St. Matthew’s Gospel at Matthew 11:5ff and in St. Mark’s Gospel at Mark 7:37, in both cases seeing in the oracle proof of messianic fulfillment in Jesus.
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Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
#393 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
When Hezekiah was mortally ill,
the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him:
“Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order,
for you are about to die; you shall not recover.”
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord:
“O Lord, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly
I conducted myself in your presence,
doing what was pleasing to you!”
And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go, tell Hezekiah:
Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David:
I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.
I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the Lord’s temple;
I will add fifteen years to your life.
I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria;
I will be a shield to this city.”
Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken
and applied to the boil, that he might recover.
Then Hezekiah asked,
“What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the Lord?”
Isaiah answered:
“This will be the sign for you from the Lord
that he will do what he has promised:
See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun
on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz
go back the ten steps it has advanced.”
So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.
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Commentary on Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
The story of Hezekiah serves as an example of God’s care for those who are faithful (see also the account from 2 Kings 20:1-6). Here God extends the protection of the Jerusalem promised in Isaiah 37:35 to the king. Hezekiah is dying, his illness is not just physical but a great depression over what he believes will be his own humiliation. [30] He reaches out to the Lord in prayer and God hears his prayer, sees his faithfulness, and grants him an additional 15 years of life. (Since the death of Hezekiah is recorded in 687 BC, this must have been in 702 BC.)
CCC: Is 38 1502
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Isaiah 38:10, 11, 12abcd, 16
#393 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
#793 Ritual Mass Context (V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and the Dying, 1. Anointing of the Sick, 1.)
#935 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 24. For the Sick, 1.)
R. (see 17b) You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Once I said,
“In the noontime of life I must depart!
To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned
for the rest of my years.”
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
I said, “I shall see the Lord no more
in the land of the living.
No longer shall I behold my fellow men
among those who dwell in the world.”
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
My dwelling, like a shepherd’s tent,
is struck down and borne away from me;
You have folded up my life, like a weaver
who severs the last thread.
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Those live whom the Lord protects;
yours is the life of my spirit.
You have given me health and life.
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
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Commentary on Is 38:10, 11, 12abcd, 16
This selection (continuing the theme of the entry above) is called the “Canticle of Hezekiah.” Hezekiah, emissary of Merodach-baladan, sings of his fatal illness (“To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned for the rest of my years”), and offers his gratitude to the Lord for his miraculous cure.
CCC: Is 38 1502
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Isaiah 40:1-11
#182 Weekdays I & II Context (Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
The rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
A voice says, “Cry out!”
I answer, “What shall I cry out?”
“All flesh is grass,
and all their glory like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever.”
Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
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Commentary on Is 40:1-11
The Prophet Isaiah describes two prophetic events with his oracle in this section. Most familiar to us is the description of John the Baptist since this passage is quoted in Matthew 3:3. It is also a description of the exiles returning from Babylon to Jerusalem.
This description is followed by a vision of the messianic kingdom to come and the rule of God who creates all things and has authority over all things. The coming of the Kingdom of God will be the cry of the Messiah, who will announce its coming to all peoples.
The selection concludes with the analogy between the benevolent leadership of the Messiah to come with that of the good shepherd who feeds and guides his flock.
CCC: Is 40:1-3 719; Is 40:6 990; Is 40:11 754
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Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
#5B Solemnities B Context (2nd Sunday of Advent B)
#21C Solemnities C Context (The Baptism of the Lord C)
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
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Commentary on Is 40:1-5, 9-11
This passage from Isaiah provides the first prophetic vision of John the Baptist: “A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God” (see Matthew 3:3 which quotes this passage). Isaiah's prophecy then announces the coming of the Messiah and what a blessing he will be to the people. It uses language similar to that spoken by God as Jesus walks out of the Jordan following his baptism. He goes on in the first paragraph to describe the compassionate and loving character of the Messiah who is to come. In the second paragraph the prophet focuses on the new covenant that will be established with the people with the advent of the Messiah.
CCC: Is 40:1-3 719; Is 40:11 754
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Isaiah 40:25-31
#183 Weekday Years I & II Context (Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
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Commentary on Is 40:25-31
In this passage, Isaiah chastises the faithful for losing hope, for not understanding that God has not forgotten the children in exile: “Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’?” He follows this critical challenge with a statement of the fidelity of God, and hope that comes through faith. He indicates the strength gained in faith in God is unbounded: “They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”
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Isaiah 41:8-10, 13-14
#877 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 12. For Persecuted Christians, Third Option)
Thus said the Lord God:
You, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend-
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth
and summoned from its far-off places,
you whom I have called my servant,
whom I have chosen and will not cast off-
Fear not, I am with you;
be not dismayed; I am your God,
I will strengthen you, and help you
and uphold you with my right hand of justice.
For I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I will help you.”
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
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Commentary on: Is 41:8-10, 13-14
This selection is from the beginning of the Poem of Cyrus (Cyrus the Great, King of Persia who conquered the region around 546). It is also the introduction to the oracle of the "First Book of Consolation". The Prophet speaks words of affection of God toward his people (his "servant" in this case referring to the whole of the people). We see how God calls them back from the exile; "...from the ends of the earth." He supports them and consoles them with a clear sense of mission before them. God takes them as his own special possession.
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Isaiah 41:13-20
#184 Weekdays I & II Context (Thursday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
For I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I will help you.”
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
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Commentary on Is 41:13-20
In this selection from the Book of Isaiah (in the section called Deutero-Isaiah), we find part of the Hymn of Cyrus, Champion of Justice. (Cyrus the Great was the King of Persia who conquered the region around 546.) “The Lord puts the nations and their gods on trial, questioning them and challenging them to produce evidence of their ability to shape the course of history. Predictably, no such evidence is forthcoming; only the God of Israel, who manages earthly powers and rulers as instruments of his will, controls the direction of world events.” [72]
In the first part of this selection, the oracle speaks in metaphor of God’s tenderness and love for his people, calling himself the redeemer of Israel. He will make the nation strong (conquerors will break upon them like the harvest against the threshing sledge). In the second section, God sings his hopes and plans for Israel. He will answer their call at need and will not forsake them.
Isaiah uses the harvest image to proclaim a victory of the Lord over those who oppose him. He once again reminds us that the Lord cares for the poor and those without hope. The Lord assures us that all that is and will be is created by God.
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Isaiah 42:1-7
#257 Weekday Years I & II Context (Monday of Holy Week)
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spreads out the earth with its crops,
Who gives breath to its people
and spirit to those who walk on it:
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
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Commentary on Is 42:1-7
This is the first of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. Speaking as the mouth of God, the prophet talks of a renewal of Israel in his time. There are three more passages considered by some to be parts of one poem (Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 50:4-7; and Isaiah 52:13—53:12). While there is some scholarly debate about the original intent of these poems, the prophetic view sees in these songs a reference to the coming messiah. The servant comes, not as a violent zealot, but humbly, with the quiet power of God (“A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench”).
In these first strophes of the Song of the Suffering Servant, we see God’s plan to transform the entire world (“to the nations”) through a messianic leader who will “open the eyes of the blind” and “bring prisoners from confinement.” The descriptive imagery of being a light to the nations and to “those who live in darkness” is recalled in Luke’s Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-69), as the infant St. John the Baptist is charged to announce the coming of Christ. It is also echoed in the Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:32), who sees Isaiah’s "Suffering Servant" in the newborn son of Mary. Also in this first song, Isaiah’s prediction brings us almost the exact words spoken by God as Jesus walks out of the Jordan following his baptism: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased.” The image of God infusing his spirit is fulfilled as the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove at Jesus’ Baptism (Matthew 16:12; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). He goes on in v. 2-4 to describe the compassionate and loving character of the messiah.
In v. 6-7, Isaiah focuses on the new covenant established with the people. “The expression ‘light to the nations’ (v.6) seems to find an echo in what Jesus says about his being ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12; 9:5) and also in the Benedictus of Zechariah (Luke 1:78-79). There is an evocation of v.7 in Jesus’ reply to the messengers from John the Baptist who ask him whether he is ‘he who is to come’ (cf. Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 7:18-22); […] And so St. Justin will say commenting on v. 6-7: ‘Every thing that is said here, my friends, refers to Christ and to the peoples who have been enlightened by his presence.’ (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 122, 2)”[2.1]
CCC: Is 42:1-9 713; Is 42:1 536, 555; Is 42:3 580; Is 42:6 580
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Isaiah 42:1-3
#764 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 4. Confirmation, 2.)
Thus says the Lord:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
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Commentary on Is 42:1-3
This is the first of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. Speaking as the mouth of God, the prophet speaks of a renewal of Israel in his time. The servant comes, not as a violent zealot but humbly, with the quiet power of God (“A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench”). This model of servant-hood paints a picture of the messiah's humble character; the example for later Christian evangelists.
CCC: Is 42:1-9 713; Is 42:1 536, 555; Is 42:3 580
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Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
#21A Solemnities A Context (Baptism of the Lord A)
#21B Solemnities B Context (Baptism of the Lord B)
#21C Solemnities C Context (Baptism of the Lord C)
Thus says the Lord:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
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Commentary on Is 42:1-4, 6-7
This passage begins what is known as the “First Song of the Servant of the Lord.” There are three more passages considered by some to be parts of one poem (Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 50:4-7; and Isaiah 52:13—53:12). While there is some scholarly debate about the original intent of these poems, the prophetic view sees in these songs a reference to the coming Messiah.
In this first song, Isaiah’s prediction brings us almost the exact words spoken by God as Jesus walks out of the Jordan following his baptism: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased.” The image of God infusing his spirit is fulfilled as the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 16:12; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). He goes on in v. 2-4 to describe the compassionate and loving character of the Messiah.
In v. 6-7, Isaiah focuses on the new covenant established with the people. “The expression ‘light to the nations’ (v.6) seems to find an echo in what Jesus says about his being ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12; 9:5) and also in the Benedictus of Zechariah (Luke 1:78-79). There is an evocation of v.7 in Jesus’ reply to the messengers from John the Baptist who ask him whether he is ‘he who is to come’ (cf. Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 7:18-22); […] And so St. Justin will say commenting on vv. 6-7: ‘Everything that is said here, my friends, refers to Christ and to the peoples who have been enlightened by his presence.’ (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 122, 2)”[21]
CCC: Is 42:1-9 713; Is 42:1 536, 555; Is 42:3 580; Is 42:6 580
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Isaiah 43:16-21
#36C Solemnities C Context (5th Sunday of Lent C)
Thus says the LORD,
who opens a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
who leads out chariots and horsemen,
a powerful army,
till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me,
jackals and ostriches,
for I put water in the desert
and rivers in the wasteland
for my chosen people to drink,
the people whom I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
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Commentary on Is 43:16-21
"This oracle is part of the doctrinal core of the 'Book of Consolation' (40:1-48:22), where we can see the exodus from Egypt as the prototype of every instance of liberation brought about by the Lord. Its most direct reference would be to the return of those exiled in Babylon." [33] The prophet first demonstrates some irony as he tells the people he speaks in the name of God who led the people out of Egypt, and destroyed the Pharaoh’s army that pursued them. He then tells them not to think of the past. He speaks then of their return from exile in Babylon (the event happening as he writes), and how God again saved the people through his creative works. The intent of this discourse is to tell the people to thank God for what they themselves are receiving and to have faith in his saving presence.
CCC: Is 43:19 711
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Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
#80B Solemnities B Context (7th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
The people I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob,
for you grew weary of me, O Israel.
You burdened me with your sins,
and wearied me with your crimes.
It is I, I, who wipe out,
for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more.
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Commentary on Is 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
This selection from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is addressed to the exiles in Babylon. It is part of an elegant poem on redemption of the people and restoration to Jerusalem. This section the author’s voice shifts to Yahweh as the salvation of the Exodus is recounted and redemption (a new exodus from Babylon) is once more promised (“I am doing something new!”). In recounting the fallen faith of the people (“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, for you grew weary of me, O Israel.”) it is made clear that God’s forgiveness and continued support is an expression of his mercy alone- not because of their fidelity and love.
CCC: Is 43:19 711
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Isaiah 44:1-5
#811 Ritual Mass Context (VIII. For the Consecration of Virgins and Religious Profession, 7.)
Hear then,O Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
Thus says the LORD who made you,
your help, who formed you from the womb:
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant,
the darling whom I have chosen.
I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground,
and streams upon the dry land;
I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
They shall spring up amid the verdure
like poplars beside the flowing waters.
One shall say, "I am the LORD'S,"
another shall be named after Jacob,
and this one shall write on his hand, "The LORD'S,"
and Israel shall be his surname.
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Commentary on Is 44:1-5
From the "Book of Consolation" in Isaiah we hear this portion of a hymn giving praise to God who calls us to be his own. The language used is tender and loving. In other translations "darling" is translated as "Jeshurun", a term of endearment used only in Deuteronomy 32:15; 33:5, 26. The Lord calls those he chooses his own possession and they shall acknowledge to whom they belong. The Lord promises prosperity to them; water flowing on parched earth, trees beside flowing waters. There is unity between the two kingdoms Judah and Israel as those called back from exile are joined in Yahweh.
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Isaiah 44:1-3
#751 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Christian Initiation Apart From the Easter Vigil, 7)
Hear then,O Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
Thus says the LORD who made you,
your help, who formed you from the womb:
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant,
the darling whom I have chosen.
I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground,
and streams upon the dry land;
I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
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Commentary on Is 44:1-3
From the "Book of Consolation" in Isaiah we hear this portion of a hymn giving praise to God who calls us to be his own. The language used is tender and loving. In other translations "darling" is translated as "Jeshurun", a term of endearment used only in Deuteronomy 32:15; 33:5, 26. The Lord calls those he chooses his own possession and they shall acknowledge to whom they belong. References to "water" and "spirit" have a distinctly baptismal connotation; adoption is clearly intended.
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Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
#145A Solemnities A Context (29th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I grasp,
subduing nations before him,
and making kings run in his service,
opening doors before him
and leaving the gates unbarred:
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
giving you a title, though you knew me not.
I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you know me not,
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun
people may know that there is none besides me.
I am the LORD, there is no other.
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Commentary on Is 45:1, 4-6
Setting the scene for this passage, we must understand that the author writes from the Babylonian exile. Cyrus, a great Babylonian general who changes the nature of the conquering rule of the kingdom from one focused on taking the spoils of the captors to a more benevolent despotic one, is in this passage elevated to king. In the remarkable statement: “I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not,” we are told that, without violating Cyrus’ free will and despite the fact that he was not of the Hebrew people, God called him to be part of his plan of salvation.
The prophet goes on to echo God’s voice saying that he (God) alone directs the destiny of mankind, and only through his power can salvation, the promised reward, come.
CCC: Is 45:5-7 304
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Isaiah 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25
#189 Weekday I & II Context (Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent)
I am the LORD, there is no other;
I form the light, and create the darkness,
I make well-being and create woe;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above,
like gentle rain let the skies drop it down.
Let the earth open and salvation bud forth;
let justice also spring up!
I, the LORD, have created this.
For thus says the LORD,
The creator of the heavens,
who is God,
The designer and maker of the earth
who established it,
Not creating it to be a waste,
but designing it be lived in:
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Who announced this from the beginning
and foretold it from of old?
Was it not I, the LORD,
besides whom there is no other God?
There is no just and saving God but me.
Turn to me and be safe,
all you ends of the earth,
for I am God; there is no other!
By myself I swear,
uttering my just decree
and my unalterable word:
To me every knee shall bend;
by me every tongue shall swear,
Saying, “Only in the LORD
are just deeds and power.
Before him in shame shall come
all who vent their anger against him.
In the LORD shall be the vindication and the glory
of all the descendants of Israel.”
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Commentary on Is 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25
This song from Deutero-Isaiah, that part of the prophetic work written after the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile, praises God for his omnipotence. The selection begins with a prayer. “The Vulgate rendering gives a more precise messianic sense to this verse, using 'just one' and 'savior' in place of justice and salvation. The Advent liturgy uses the Vulgate form, Rorate coeli desuper . . ., to express the world's longing for the coming of Christ.“[3]
Isaiah sees the conquering armies of King Cyrus as a forerunner to the messianic kingdom that is to come, and using the invective style of the Prophet Amos, he describes the universal sweep of God’s kingdom on earth. The driving theology behind this passage is the certain knowledge that there is only one true God and hence only one true religion.
CCC: Is 45:5-7 304; Is 45:8 2795; Is 45:22-24 201
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Isaiah 48:17-19
#185 Weekdays I & II Context (Friday of the 2nd Week of Advent)-
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
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Commentary on Is 48:17-19
This reading from the Book of Isaiah (in Deutero-Isaiah) is part of what is known as the recapitulation of the Hymns to the Lord Redeemer (Isaiah 40:12 – 48:22). [21] In these verses we see the oracle predict God’s leadership of the faithful into salvation (salvation that flows from and becomes an actual part of God’s act of creation). Hearkening back to Abraham, whose descendants he promised would “be like the sand,” God promises to be the salvation of the faithful.
Isaiah proposes the words of a holy covenant: If you follow the commandments of God, he will give you prosperity, justification or forgiveness, and your line of descendants will be many and always have God’s help.
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Isaiah 49:1-6
#258 Weekday Years I & II Context (Tuesday of Holy Week)
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Isaiah 32:15-18
#882 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country or a City or For those Who Serve in Public Office or For the Congress Or For the President Or For the Progress of Peoples, 8.)
#887 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 14. For Peace and Justice, Second Option)
In those days;
The spirit from on high
will be poured out on us.
Then will the desert become an orchard
and the orchard be regarded as a forest.
Right will dwell in the desert
and justice abide in the orchard.
Justice will bring about peace;
right will produce calm and security.
My people will live in peaceful country,
in secure dwellings and quiet resting places.
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Commentary on Is 32:15-18
This section of Isaiah contains various oracles. This selection deals with the ideal order to be put in place by the coming messiah. An outpouring of God's spirit will transform the region bringing justice and peace, hallmarks of the Messianic Era.
"Peace is not merely the absence of war; nor can it be reduced solely to the maintenance of a balance of power between enemies; nor is it brought about by dictatorship. Instead, it is rightly and appropriately called an enterprise of justice. Peace results from that order structured into human society by its divine Founder, and actualized by men as they thirst after ever greater justice. The common good of humanity finds its ultimate meaning in the eternal law. But since the cncrete demands of the common good are constantly changing as time goes on, peace is never attained once and for all, but must be built up ceaselessly" (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 78).[14]
CCC: Is 32:17 2304
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Isaiah 35:1-10
#181 Weekdays I & II Context (Monday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
#790 Ritual Mass Context (V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying, I. Anointing of the Sick, 7.)
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water;
The abode where jackals lurk
will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.
A highway will be there,
called the holy way;
No one unclean may pass over it,
nor fools go astray on it.
No lion will be there,
nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it.
It is for those with a journey to make,
and on it the redeemed will walk.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
They will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
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Commentary on Is 35:1-10
This selection is a prophetic vision of the restoration of Israel following the Babylonian exile. It is also seen by the Hebrew people as a vision of the land redeemed by the coming Messiah. Those who are most afflicted, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute, will be the first to experience the saving grace of God. Christians see it as the prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.
"v. 5. eyes of the blind be opened: The most unfortunate among the exiled will be among the first to share these blessings (see Matthew 11:5 for a sign that the Messianic age has arrived). v. 8. The "way" is holy because it leads to Zion, the holy city. v. 9. The "redeemed" are those who are being brought out of exile. They have been ransomed from bondage as had their forefathers at the time of the Exodus. The NT (John 6:48-51; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Hebrews 12:18-24) understands the coming of Christ in terms of a new and definitive Exodus. Note that the Exodus from Egypt is a type both for the return from Exile (OT) and for salvation through Christ (NT)." [18]
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Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10
#7A Sundays A Context (3rd Sunday of Advent)
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
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Commentary on Is 35:1-6a, 10
The Prophet Isaiah envisions the beauty of the land as the people of Israel return from the Babylonian exile for his contemporaries. The dignity and strength of those exiled will be restored: "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing." For later generations this is seen as a vision of the coming of the messiah, who comes with healing hands to lift up the poor and those seen as punished by God.
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Isaiah 35:4-7a
#128B Solemnities B Context (23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
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Commentary on Is 35:4-7a
This joyous outburst from the prophet looks forward to the restoration of those exiled (similar in tone to Isaiah 40:1-11). The oracle sees the time of salvation marked by events traditionally associated with the predicted arrival of the messiah. The passage is quoted or paraphrased in both St. Matthew’s Gospel at Matthew 11:5ff and in St. Mark’s Gospel at Mark 7:37, in both cases seeing in the oracle proof of messianic fulfillment in Jesus.
“This passage points to a great mystery, namely that Christ was to come in the flesh. Not just anybody, not an angel, not an ambassador, but “He” will come to save you. Who is showing this humility? One who is highly exalted. How exalted? Make no search on earth but rise above the stars, beyond the heavenly company of angels, even beyond all creation, and by faith arrive at the Creator (St. Augustine, Sermons 293, 5).” []
Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
#393 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
When Hezekiah was mortally ill,
the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him:
“Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order,
for you are about to die; you shall not recover.”
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord:
“O Lord, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly
I conducted myself in your presence,
doing what was pleasing to you!”
And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go, tell Hezekiah:
Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David:
I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.
I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the Lord’s temple;
I will add fifteen years to your life.
I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria;
I will be a shield to this city.”
Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken
and applied to the boil, that he might recover.
Then Hezekiah asked,
“What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the Lord?”
Isaiah answered:
“This will be the sign for you from the Lord
that he will do what he has promised:
See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun
on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz
go back the ten steps it has advanced.”
So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.
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Commentary on Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
The story of Hezekiah serves as an example of God’s care for those who are faithful (see also the account from 2 Kings 20:1-6). Here God extends the protection of the Jerusalem promised in Isaiah 37:35 to the king. Hezekiah is dying, his illness is not just physical but a great depression over what he believes will be his own humiliation. [30] He reaches out to the Lord in prayer and God hears his prayer, sees his faithfulness, and grants him an additional 15 years of life. (Since the death of Hezekiah is recorded in 687 BC, this must have been in 702 BC.)
CCC: Is 38 1502
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Isaiah 38:10, 11, 12abcd, 16
#393 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
#793 Ritual Mass Context (V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and the Dying, 1. Anointing of the Sick, 1.)
#935 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 24. For the Sick, 1.)
R. (see 17b) You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Once I said,
“In the noontime of life I must depart!
To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned
for the rest of my years.”
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
I said, “I shall see the Lord no more
in the land of the living.
No longer shall I behold my fellow men
among those who dwell in the world.”
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
My dwelling, like a shepherd’s tent,
is struck down and borne away from me;
You have folded up my life, like a weaver
who severs the last thread.
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Those live whom the Lord protects;
yours is the life of my spirit.
You have given me health and life.
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
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Commentary on Is 38:10, 11, 12abcd, 16
This selection (continuing the theme of the entry above) is called the “Canticle of Hezekiah.” Hezekiah, emissary of Merodach-baladan, sings of his fatal illness (“To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned for the rest of my years”), and offers his gratitude to the Lord for his miraculous cure.
CCC: Is 38 1502
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Isaiah 40:1-11
#182 Weekdays I & II Context (Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
The rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
A voice says, “Cry out!”
I answer, “What shall I cry out?”
“All flesh is grass,
and all their glory like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever.”
Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
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Commentary on Is 40:1-11
The Prophet Isaiah describes two prophetic events with his oracle in this section. Most familiar to us is the description of John the Baptist since this passage is quoted in Matthew 3:3. It is also a description of the exiles returning from Babylon to Jerusalem.
This description is followed by a vision of the messianic kingdom to come and the rule of God who creates all things and has authority over all things. The coming of the Kingdom of God will be the cry of the Messiah, who will announce its coming to all peoples.
The selection concludes with the analogy between the benevolent leadership of the Messiah to come with that of the good shepherd who feeds and guides his flock.
CCC: Is 40:1-3 719; Is 40:6 990; Is 40:11 754
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Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
#5B Solemnities B Context (2nd Sunday of Advent B)
#21C Solemnities C Context (The Baptism of the Lord C)
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
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Commentary on Is 40:1-5, 9-11
This passage from Isaiah provides the first prophetic vision of John the Baptist: “A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God” (see Matthew 3:3 which quotes this passage). Isaiah's prophecy then announces the coming of the Messiah and what a blessing he will be to the people. It uses language similar to that spoken by God as Jesus walks out of the Jordan following his baptism. He goes on in the first paragraph to describe the compassionate and loving character of the Messiah who is to come. In the second paragraph the prophet focuses on the new covenant that will be established with the people with the advent of the Messiah.
CCC: Is 40:1-3 719; Is 40:11 754
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Isaiah 40:25-31
#183 Weekday Years I & II Context (Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
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Commentary on Is 40:25-31
In this passage, Isaiah chastises the faithful for losing hope, for not understanding that God has not forgotten the children in exile: “Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’?” He follows this critical challenge with a statement of the fidelity of God, and hope that comes through faith. He indicates the strength gained in faith in God is unbounded: “They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”
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Isaiah 41:8-10, 13-14
#877 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 12. For Persecuted Christians, Third Option)
Thus said the Lord God:
You, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend-
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth
and summoned from its far-off places,
you whom I have called my servant,
whom I have chosen and will not cast off-
Fear not, I am with you;
be not dismayed; I am your God,
I will strengthen you, and help you
and uphold you with my right hand of justice.
For I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I will help you.”
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
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Commentary on: Is 41:8-10, 13-14
This selection is from the beginning of the Poem of Cyrus (Cyrus the Great, King of Persia who conquered the region around 546). It is also the introduction to the oracle of the "First Book of Consolation". The Prophet speaks words of affection of God toward his people (his "servant" in this case referring to the whole of the people). We see how God calls them back from the exile; "...from the ends of the earth." He supports them and consoles them with a clear sense of mission before them. God takes them as his own special possession.
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Isaiah 41:13-20
#184 Weekdays I & II Context (Thursday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
For I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I will help you.”
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
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Commentary on Is 41:13-20
In this selection from the Book of Isaiah (in the section called Deutero-Isaiah), we find part of the Hymn of Cyrus, Champion of Justice. (Cyrus the Great was the King of Persia who conquered the region around 546.) “The Lord puts the nations and their gods on trial, questioning them and challenging them to produce evidence of their ability to shape the course of history. Predictably, no such evidence is forthcoming; only the God of Israel, who manages earthly powers and rulers as instruments of his will, controls the direction of world events.” [72]
In the first part of this selection, the oracle speaks in metaphor of God’s tenderness and love for his people, calling himself the redeemer of Israel. He will make the nation strong (conquerors will break upon them like the harvest against the threshing sledge). In the second section, God sings his hopes and plans for Israel. He will answer their call at need and will not forsake them.
Isaiah uses the harvest image to proclaim a victory of the Lord over those who oppose him. He once again reminds us that the Lord cares for the poor and those without hope. The Lord assures us that all that is and will be is created by God.
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Isaiah 42:1-7
#257 Weekday Years I & II Context (Monday of Holy Week)
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spreads out the earth with its crops,
Who gives breath to its people
and spirit to those who walk on it:
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
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Commentary on Is 42:1-7
This is the first of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. Speaking as the mouth of God, the prophet talks of a renewal of Israel in his time. There are three more passages considered by some to be parts of one poem (Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 50:4-7; and Isaiah 52:13—53:12). While there is some scholarly debate about the original intent of these poems, the prophetic view sees in these songs a reference to the coming messiah. The servant comes, not as a violent zealot, but humbly, with the quiet power of God (“A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench”).
In these first strophes of the Song of the Suffering Servant, we see God’s plan to transform the entire world (“to the nations”) through a messianic leader who will “open the eyes of the blind” and “bring prisoners from confinement.” The descriptive imagery of being a light to the nations and to “those who live in darkness” is recalled in Luke’s Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-69), as the infant St. John the Baptist is charged to announce the coming of Christ. It is also echoed in the Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:32), who sees Isaiah’s "Suffering Servant" in the newborn son of Mary. Also in this first song, Isaiah’s prediction brings us almost the exact words spoken by God as Jesus walks out of the Jordan following his baptism: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased.” The image of God infusing his spirit is fulfilled as the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove at Jesus’ Baptism (Matthew 16:12; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). He goes on in v. 2-4 to describe the compassionate and loving character of the messiah.
In v. 6-7, Isaiah focuses on the new covenant established with the people. “The expression ‘light to the nations’ (v.6) seems to find an echo in what Jesus says about his being ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12; 9:5) and also in the Benedictus of Zechariah (Luke 1:78-79). There is an evocation of v.7 in Jesus’ reply to the messengers from John the Baptist who ask him whether he is ‘he who is to come’ (cf. Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 7:18-22); […] And so St. Justin will say commenting on v. 6-7: ‘Every thing that is said here, my friends, refers to Christ and to the peoples who have been enlightened by his presence.’ (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 122, 2)”[2.1]
CCC: Is 42:1-9 713; Is 42:1 536, 555; Is 42:3 580; Is 42:6 580
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Isaiah 42:1-3
#764 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 4. Confirmation, 2.)
Thus says the Lord:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
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Commentary on Is 42:1-3
This is the first of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. Speaking as the mouth of God, the prophet speaks of a renewal of Israel in his time. The servant comes, not as a violent zealot but humbly, with the quiet power of God (“A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench”). This model of servant-hood paints a picture of the messiah's humble character; the example for later Christian evangelists.
CCC: Is 42:1-9 713; Is 42:1 536, 555; Is 42:3 580
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Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
#21A Solemnities A Context (Baptism of the Lord A)
#21B Solemnities B Context (Baptism of the Lord B)
#21C Solemnities C Context (Baptism of the Lord C)
Thus says the Lord:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
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Commentary on Is 42:1-4, 6-7
This passage begins what is known as the “First Song of the Servant of the Lord.” There are three more passages considered by some to be parts of one poem (Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 50:4-7; and Isaiah 52:13—53:12). While there is some scholarly debate about the original intent of these poems, the prophetic view sees in these songs a reference to the coming Messiah.
In this first song, Isaiah’s prediction brings us almost the exact words spoken by God as Jesus walks out of the Jordan following his baptism: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased.” The image of God infusing his spirit is fulfilled as the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 16:12; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). He goes on in v. 2-4 to describe the compassionate and loving character of the Messiah.
In v. 6-7, Isaiah focuses on the new covenant established with the people. “The expression ‘light to the nations’ (v.6) seems to find an echo in what Jesus says about his being ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12; 9:5) and also in the Benedictus of Zechariah (Luke 1:78-79). There is an evocation of v.7 in Jesus’ reply to the messengers from John the Baptist who ask him whether he is ‘he who is to come’ (cf. Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 7:18-22); […] And so St. Justin will say commenting on vv. 6-7: ‘Everything that is said here, my friends, refers to Christ and to the peoples who have been enlightened by his presence.’ (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 122, 2)”[21]
CCC: Is 42:1-9 713; Is 42:1 536, 555; Is 42:3 580; Is 42:6 580
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Isaiah 43:16-21
#36C Solemnities C Context (5th Sunday of Lent C)
Thus says the LORD,
who opens a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
who leads out chariots and horsemen,
a powerful army,
till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me,
jackals and ostriches,
for I put water in the desert
and rivers in the wasteland
for my chosen people to drink,
the people whom I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
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Commentary on Is 43:16-21
"This oracle is part of the doctrinal core of the 'Book of Consolation' (40:1-48:22), where we can see the exodus from Egypt as the prototype of every instance of liberation brought about by the Lord. Its most direct reference would be to the return of those exiled in Babylon." [33] The prophet first demonstrates some irony as he tells the people he speaks in the name of God who led the people out of Egypt, and destroyed the Pharaoh’s army that pursued them. He then tells them not to think of the past. He speaks then of their return from exile in Babylon (the event happening as he writes), and how God again saved the people through his creative works. The intent of this discourse is to tell the people to thank God for what they themselves are receiving and to have faith in his saving presence.
CCC: Is 43:19 711
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Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
#80B Solemnities B Context (7th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
The people I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob,
for you grew weary of me, O Israel.
You burdened me with your sins,
and wearied me with your crimes.
It is I, I, who wipe out,
for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more.
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Commentary on Is 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
This selection from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is addressed to the exiles in Babylon. It is part of an elegant poem on redemption of the people and restoration to Jerusalem. This section the author’s voice shifts to Yahweh as the salvation of the Exodus is recounted and redemption (a new exodus from Babylon) is once more promised (“I am doing something new!”). In recounting the fallen faith of the people (“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, for you grew weary of me, O Israel.”) it is made clear that God’s forgiveness and continued support is an expression of his mercy alone- not because of their fidelity and love.
CCC: Is 43:19 711
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Isaiah 44:1-5
#811 Ritual Mass Context (VIII. For the Consecration of Virgins and Religious Profession, 7.)
Hear then,O Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
Thus says the LORD who made you,
your help, who formed you from the womb:
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant,
the darling whom I have chosen.
I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground,
and streams upon the dry land;
I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
They shall spring up amid the verdure
like poplars beside the flowing waters.
One shall say, "I am the LORD'S,"
another shall be named after Jacob,
and this one shall write on his hand, "The LORD'S,"
and Israel shall be his surname.
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Commentary on Is 44:1-5
From the "Book of Consolation" in Isaiah we hear this portion of a hymn giving praise to God who calls us to be his own. The language used is tender and loving. In other translations "darling" is translated as "Jeshurun", a term of endearment used only in Deuteronomy 32:15; 33:5, 26. The Lord calls those he chooses his own possession and they shall acknowledge to whom they belong. The Lord promises prosperity to them; water flowing on parched earth, trees beside flowing waters. There is unity between the two kingdoms Judah and Israel as those called back from exile are joined in Yahweh.
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Isaiah 44:1-3
#751 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Christian Initiation Apart From the Easter Vigil, 7)
Hear then,O Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
Thus says the LORD who made you,
your help, who formed you from the womb:
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant,
the darling whom I have chosen.
I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground,
and streams upon the dry land;
I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
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Commentary on Is 44:1-3
From the "Book of Consolation" in Isaiah we hear this portion of a hymn giving praise to God who calls us to be his own. The language used is tender and loving. In other translations "darling" is translated as "Jeshurun", a term of endearment used only in Deuteronomy 32:15; 33:5, 26. The Lord calls those he chooses his own possession and they shall acknowledge to whom they belong. References to "water" and "spirit" have a distinctly baptismal connotation; adoption is clearly intended.
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Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
#145A Solemnities A Context (29th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I grasp,
subduing nations before him,
and making kings run in his service,
opening doors before him
and leaving the gates unbarred:
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
giving you a title, though you knew me not.
I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you know me not,
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun
people may know that there is none besides me.
I am the LORD, there is no other.
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Commentary on Is 45:1, 4-6
Setting the scene for this passage, we must understand that the author writes from the Babylonian exile. Cyrus, a great Babylonian general who changes the nature of the conquering rule of the kingdom from one focused on taking the spoils of the captors to a more benevolent despotic one, is in this passage elevated to king. In the remarkable statement: “I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not,” we are told that, without violating Cyrus’ free will and despite the fact that he was not of the Hebrew people, God called him to be part of his plan of salvation.
The prophet goes on to echo God’s voice saying that he (God) alone directs the destiny of mankind, and only through his power can salvation, the promised reward, come.
CCC: Is 45:5-7 304
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Isaiah 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25
#189 Weekday I & II Context (Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent)
I am the LORD, there is no other;
I form the light, and create the darkness,
I make well-being and create woe;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above,
like gentle rain let the skies drop it down.
Let the earth open and salvation bud forth;
let justice also spring up!
I, the LORD, have created this.
For thus says the LORD,
The creator of the heavens,
who is God,
The designer and maker of the earth
who established it,
Not creating it to be a waste,
but designing it be lived in:
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Who announced this from the beginning
and foretold it from of old?
Was it not I, the LORD,
besides whom there is no other God?
There is no just and saving God but me.
Turn to me and be safe,
all you ends of the earth,
for I am God; there is no other!
By myself I swear,
uttering my just decree
and my unalterable word:
To me every knee shall bend;
by me every tongue shall swear,
Saying, “Only in the LORD
are just deeds and power.
Before him in shame shall come
all who vent their anger against him.
In the LORD shall be the vindication and the glory
of all the descendants of Israel.”
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Commentary on Is 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25
This song from Deutero-Isaiah, that part of the prophetic work written after the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile, praises God for his omnipotence. The selection begins with a prayer. “The Vulgate rendering gives a more precise messianic sense to this verse, using 'just one' and 'savior' in place of justice and salvation. The Advent liturgy uses the Vulgate form, Rorate coeli desuper . . ., to express the world's longing for the coming of Christ.“[3]
Isaiah sees the conquering armies of King Cyrus as a forerunner to the messianic kingdom that is to come, and using the invective style of the Prophet Amos, he describes the universal sweep of God’s kingdom on earth. The driving theology behind this passage is the certain knowledge that there is only one true God and hence only one true religion.
CCC: Is 45:5-7 304; Is 45:8 2795; Is 45:22-24 201
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Isaiah 48:17-19
#185 Weekdays I & II Context (Friday of the 2nd Week of Advent)-
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
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Commentary on Is 48:17-19
This reading from the Book of Isaiah (in Deutero-Isaiah) is part of what is known as the recapitulation of the Hymns to the Lord Redeemer (Isaiah 40:12 – 48:22). [21] In these verses we see the oracle predict God’s leadership of the faithful into salvation (salvation that flows from and becomes an actual part of God’s act of creation). Hearkening back to Abraham, whose descendants he promised would “be like the sand,” God promises to be the salvation of the faithful.
Isaiah proposes the words of a holy covenant: If you follow the commandments of God, he will give you prosperity, justification or forgiveness, and your line of descendants will be many and always have God’s help.
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Isaiah 49:1-6
#258 Weekday Years I & II Context (Tuesday of Holy Week)
#516B Proper of Saints (Context) (Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, Jan 22)
#587 Proper of Saints Context (Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Mass during the Day, Jun 24)
#587 Proper of Saints Context (Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Mass during the Day, Jun 24)
#947E Masses for Various Occasions Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 26A. In Thanksgiving to God for the Gift of Human Life. Option 3.)
Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the Lord,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the Lord has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Is 49:1-6
In this passage, the beginning of the second of the four "Servant of the Lord" or “Suffering Servant” oracles, the Prophet Isaiah speaks of his own call of service to God. It presents him as “another Jeremiah”: He is called from his mother’s womb (see Jeremiah 1:5). The prophet has a vocation to the gentiles (Jeremiah 1:10; Jeremiah 25:15ff) to bring a message of both doom and happiness (Jeremiah 16:19-21).[4] We note that God sets his servants on their course from before their birth (see also Luke 1:15 (St. John the Baptist), Luke 1:31 (Jesus) and Galatians 1:15 (St. Paul the Apostle)).
The servant learns that, even at times when his effort seems to have failed (“Though I thought I had toiled in vain”), it is God’s strength and plan that succeeds (“my recompense is with my God”)(see also 1 Corinthians 4:1-5). The prophet’s role is expanded at the end of the passage to “reach to the ends of the earth,” a revelation further elaborated in Genesis 12:3; Luke 2:31-32; and Acts 13:47.
CCC: Is 49:1-6 713; Is 49:5-6 64
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Isaiah 49:3, 5-6
#64A Sunday A Context (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
The Lord said to me: You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Now the Lord has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the Lord says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Is 49:3, 5-6
The Prophet Isaiah proclaims his mission to call the people of Israel, the “House of Jacob,” back to God, as the second “[Suffering] Servant Song” begins. The people are disillusioned following their return from exile in Babylon. He calls first to the dispersed people of Israel, as the Lord’s plan unfolds in him. He announces that all the world will be called to worship God. (“I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”)
CCC: Is 49:1-6 713; Is 49:5-6 64
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Isaiah 49:8-15
#246 Weekday Years I & II Context (Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent)
Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
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Commentary on Is 49:8-15
This reading from Isaiah is a part of the second of the “Servant of the Lord” oracles. In this segment, the servant promises salvation to the captives and light to those in darkness. He has led the people by pleasant and safe paths and has shown mercy. The response from Zion is “the Lord has forsaken me,” to which we hear the tender response: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” God’s fidelity and faithfulness are assured.
CCC: Is 49:13 716; Is 49:14-15 219 , 370; Is 49:15 239
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Isaiah 49:13-15
#995 Votive Mass Context (Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 4.)
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
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Commentary on Is 49:13-15
This reading from Isaiah is a part of the second “Servant of the Lord” oracles. In this segment, we hear a promise from God that salvation is for his people and they should rejoice. The response from Zion is “the Lord has forsaken them.” To which we hear the tender response; “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” God’s fidelity and faithfulness is assured.
CCC: Is 49:13 716; Is 49:14-15 219, 370; Is 49:15 239
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Isaiah 49:14-15
#82A Solemnities A Context (8th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my LORD has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
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Commentary on Is 49:14-15
This reading from Isaiah is a part of the second “Servant of the Lord” oracles. The servant has promised salvation to the captives and light to those in darkness. The response from Zion is the Lord has forsaken them. To which we hear the tender response: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” God’s fidelity and faithfulness is assured.
CCC: Is 49:14-15 219, 370; Is 49:15 239
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Isaiah 50:4-9a
#259 Weekday Years I & II Context (Wednesday of Holy Week)
#958 Mass for Various Needs Context (IV. For Various Needs, 30. For Our Oppressors, Second Option)
#969 Votive Mass Context (The Mystery of the Holy Cross, 3.)
The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
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Commentary on Is 50:4-9a
This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. These four comprise the “Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the messiah, describing the humble ministry of Christ.
In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The “weary” are those ground down by oppression and the “Word” that will rouse them is hope in God. In doing this he has incurred the wrath of the powerful, the oppressors. In spite of the persecution he suffers, he is steadfast in his mission as his faith in God sustains him.
CCC: Is 50:4-10 713; Is 50:4 141
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Isaiah 50:5-9a
#131B Solemnities B Context (24th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
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Commentary on Is 50:5-9a
This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. These four comprise the “Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the messiah describing the humble ministry of Christ.
In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The “weary” are those bowed down by oppression and the “word” that will rouse them is hope in God. (Isaiah 50:4) In doing this he has incurred the wrath of the powerful, the oppressors, but he is steadfast in his mission as his faith in God sustains him, in spite of the persecution he suffers. God chastises the people for not following the servant who willingly accepts God’s service and even the contempt of the people. The image of humble service is frequently associated with the suffering servant prophetic of Christ.
CCC: Is 50:4-10 713
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Isaiah 50:4-7
#38A Solemnities A Context (Psalm Sunday of the Lord's Passion A)
#38B Solemnities B Context (Psalm Sunday of the Lord's Passion B)
#38C Solemnities C Context (Psalm Sunday of the Lord's Passion C)
The Lord God has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord God is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
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Commentary on Is 50:4-7
This is the third of four “Servant of the Lord” oracles in Isaiah. God chastises the people for not following the servant who willingly accepts God’s service and even accepts the contempt of the people. The image of humble service is frequently associated with the suffering servant, prophetic of Christ.
“The poem is neatly constructed in three stanzas, each beginning with the words, ‘The Lord God’ (vv. 4, 5, 7), and it has a conclusion containing that same wording (v. 9). The first stanza emphasizes the servant’s docility to the word of God; that is, he is not depicted as a self-taught teacher with original ideas, but as an obedient disciple. The second (vv. 5-6) speaks of the suffering that that docility has brought him, without his uttering a word of complaint. The third (vv. 7-8) shows how determined the servant is: if he suffers in silence, it is not out of cowardice but because God helps him and makes him stronger than his persecutors. The conclusion (v. 9) is like the verdict of a trial: when all is said and done, the servant will stand tall, and all his enemies will be struck down.”[9]
CCC: Is 50:4-10 713; Is 50:4 141
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Isaiah 52:7-10
#16ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Nativity of the Lord Christmas –Day ABC)
#526 Proper of Saint Context (St. Ansgar Feb 2)
#663A Proper of Saint Context (St. John Paul II Oct 22)
#665 Proper of Saint Context (St. Anthony Mary Claret Oct 24)
#683 Proper of Saints Context (St. Columban, Nov 23)
#719 Commons Context (Common of Pastors)
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the Lord restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
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Commentary on Is 52:7-10
At the time of its writing, the prophet’s intent was to proclaim the joy of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile to Judah. He sees the event as salvation for the Hebrew people. God leads them back to the land he gave their fathers.
“These verses form the famous poem of the ‘messenger of peace’ who ‘brings good tidings.’ The ideas of the first oracle of this second part of the book (Isaiah 40:1-11) are repeated here very beautifully. The messenger's feet are praised - a symbol of his speed and surefootedness when crossing the mountains, which is where important news comes from (cf. Isaiah 40:9). His message (v. 7) is described very significantly as involving ‘peace,’ which in Isaiah means safety in Israel after the hardships of exile; ‘good tidings’ or, more literally, ‘news of goodness and well-being,’ that is, genuine material and spiritual prosperity; and 'salvation,' which is permanent renewal on all levels. The three words read together mean the highest degree of happiness imaginable. The core of this message is the enthronement of God: ‘Your God reigns,’ similar to Isaiah 40:9: ‘Behold your God.’”[19]
From a greater distance and depth of understanding, we see him announcing the coming of the messiah and the salvation that comes to the new Jerusalem through Jesus Christ.
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Isaiah 52:13—53:12
#40ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Good Friday of the Lord's Passion)
#790 Ritual Mass Context (V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying, 1. Anointing of the Sick, 8.)
#969 Votive Mass Context (Mystery of the Holy Cross, 4.)
#982 Votive Mass Context (Jesus Christ, The Eternal High Priest, First Option)
See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.
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Commentary on Is 52:13—53:12
The last of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles is used on Good Friday. A lament for the prophet’s own ill treatment and a prediction of the passion is seen here, beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).
The later paragraphs describe how the servant becomes the “sin offering,” a sacrifice in the Jewish tradition in atonement for sins. In this case we are told, “[H]e shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.”
CCC: Is 52:13-53:12 713; Is 53:1 591; Is 53:4-6 1505; Is 53:4 517, 1505; Is 53:7-8 601; Is 53:7 608; Is 53:8 627; Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502; Is 53:12 536, 608
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Isaiah 53:1-5, 7-10
#44O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick)
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
The servant grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that the servant bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins,
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush his servant in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
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Commentary on Is 53:1-5, 7-10
This passage is taken from the fourth "Suffering Servant" lament from Isaiah. It is considered to be a testament to the prophet’s own ill treatment. We see in it also a prediction of the passion beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).
In this selection the explicit forms of abuse suffered become a prophetic vision of Christ's passion. While Christians see clearly the messianic prophecy in the lament, the overall message extols the virtue of expiatory suffering. The Suffering Servant, like Christ did not suffer in themselves so much as they accepted their suffering that others might not suffer. Their suffering was offered as a sacrifice to God on behalf of others; that God, in his great mercy, would accept that sacrifice and pour out graces upon those for whom the suffering was offered. In offering this sacrifice, the selection concludes, the one who does so shall be justified before God.
CCC: Is 53:1 591; Is 53:4-6 1505; Is 53:4 517, 1505; Is 53:7-8 601; Is 53:7 608; Is 53:8 627; Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623
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Isaiah 53:1-5, 10-11
#933 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 24. For the Sick, Second Option)
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
One of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
While we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins,
Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
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Commentary on Is 53:1-5, 10-11
This passage is taken from the fourth "Suffering Servant" lament from Isaiah. It is considered to be a testament to the prophet’s own ill treatment. We see in it also a prediction of the passion beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).
While Christians see clearly the messianic prophecy in the lament, the overall message extols the virtue of expiatory suffering. The Suffering Servant, like Christ did not suffer in themselves so much as they accepted their suffering that others might not suffer. Their suffering was offered as a sacrifice to God on behalf of others; that God, in his great mercy, would accept that sacrifice and pour out graces upon those for whom the suffering was offered. In offering this sacrifice, the selection concludes, the one who does so shall be justified before God.
CCC: Is 53:1 591; Is 53:4-6 1505; Is 53:4 517, 1505; Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502
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Isaiah 53:10-11
#146B Solemnities B Context (29th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness
of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
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Commentary on Is 53:10-11
This fourth part of the “suffering servant” discourse takes up the topic of the value of suffering. It describes how the servant becomes the “sin offering,” a sacrifice in the Jewish tradition in atonement for sins. In this case we are told, “through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.” The Hebrew tradition holds up this passage as a clear reference to the messiah. The image painted by these words portrays how Jesus came to fulfill the prophet’s promise as he offered his life, suffering and dying upon the cross.
CCC: Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502
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Isaiah 54:1-10
#190 Weekday I & II Context (Thursday of the 3rd Week of Advent)
Raise a glad cry, you barren one who did not bear,
Break forth in jubilant song, you who were not in labor,
For more numerous are the children of the deserted wife
than the children of her who has a husband,
says the LORD.
Enlarge the space for your tent,
spread out your tent cloths unsparingly;
lengthen your ropes and make firm your stakes.
For you shall spread abroad to the right and to the left;
your descendants shall dispossess the nations
and shall people the desolate cities.
Fear not, you shall not be put to shame;
you need not blush, for you shall not be disgraced.
The shame of your youth you shall forget,
the reproach of your widowhood no longer remember.
For he who has become your husband is your Maker;
his name is the LORD of hosts;
Your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
called God of all the earth.
The LORD calls you back,
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
A wife married in youth and then cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great tenderness I will take you back.
In an outburst of wrath, for a moment
I hid my face from you;
But with enduring love I take pity on you,
says the LORD, your redeemer.
This is for me like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
should never again deluge the earth;
So I have sworn not to be angry with you,
or to rebuke you.
Though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be shaken,
My love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
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Commentary on Is 54:1-10
The prophet provides an analogy of the New Zion (New Jerusalem) using the sterile wife image seen many times in Old Testament Scripture (see also Sarah in Genesis 15:2; 16:1, Rachel in Genesis 29:31, Manoah’s wife in Judges 13:2 and Anna in 1 Samuel 1:2). All of these women bore children through God’s special intervention. Likewise the Heavenly Father would give his special providence to barren Jerusalem if her people return to the faith of their holy forebears. For the Christian, we are also reminded of Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist who brought the last prophet forth from a barren womb to fulfill yet another prophecy.
The reference relevant to the Hebrews reflects upon the Babylonian exile (“For a brief moment I abandoned you …“). It is understood by the Christian faithful to refer to the New Jerusalem, Zion the Church, God’s heavenly kingdom. In this oracle the Prophet speaks of the everlasting covenant that would be the messiah (Galatians 4:27).
CCC: Is 54 1611; Is 54:8 220; Is 54:10 220
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Isaiah 54:5-14
#41ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)
The One who has become your husband is your Maker;
his name is the LORD of hosts;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
called God of all the earth.
The LORD calls you back,
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
a wife married in youth and then cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great tenderness I will take you back.
In an outburst of wrath, for a moment
I hid my face from you;
but with enduring love I take pity on you,
says the LORD, your redeemer.
This is for me like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
should never again deluge the earth;
so I have sworn not to be angry with you,
or to rebuke you.
Though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be shaken,
my love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
O afflicted one, storm-battered and unconsoled,
I lay your pavements in carnelians,
and your foundations in sapphires;
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
In justice shall you be established,
far from the fear of oppression,
where destruction cannot come near you.
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Commentary on Is 54:5-14
Isaiah portrays Jerusalem as the wife in relationship with God. The reference, relevant to the Hebrews, reflects upon the Babylonian exile (“For a brief moment I abandoned you …“) and the return from that exile. The people, by returning to the land God gave them, are returning to God’s favor (“In justice shall you be established, far from the fear of oppression, where destruction cannot come near you “). This passage is understood by the Christian faithful to refer to the New Jerusalem, Zion, the Church, and God’s heavenly kingdom. In this oracle the prophet speaks of the everlasting covenant that would be established in the Messiah.
CCC: Is 55:1 694, 2121; Is 55:3 762
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Isaiah 55:1-3
#112A Solemnities A Context (18th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Thus says the Lord:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
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Commentary on Is 55:1-3
The author, writing after the Babylonian exile, offers God’s invitation to the heavenly banquet in the new Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom. All that is necessary for admittance is a thirst for the Lord. The theme of gift is emphasized as it is made clear that it is without cost or merit that eternal life is offered. The promise of the messiah is alluded to as the prophet recalls that God’s covenant with David – the continuation of his line, is assured.
The imagery set forward in this passage recalls the promise of adoption through living water in baptism (“All you who are thirsty, come to the water!”), and continued grace offered through the Eucharist (“Why spend your money for what is not bread”).
CCC: Is 55:1 694, 2121; Is 55:3 762
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Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-9
#892 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 15. Reconciliation, First Option)
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me needfully;
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his ways,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
Let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
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Commentary on Is 55:1-3, 6-9
The post exilic author offers God’s invitation to the heavenly banquet in the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom. All that is necessary for admittance is a thirst for the Lord. The theme of gift is emphasized as it is made clear that it is without cost or merit that eternal life is offered. The promise of the messiah is alluded to as the prophet recalls that God’s covenant with David – the continuation of his line, is assured.
The imagery set forward in this passage recalls the promise of adoption through living water in Baptism (“All you who are thirsty, come to the water!”) and continued grace offered through the Eucharist (“Why spend your money for what is not bread”)
The passage continues with an exhortation to seek the Lord through prayer (call him while he is near) and to repent from sinful ways asking God's forgiveness. The author captures the perfection of God's thoughts (and of Christ's actions prophetically) expressing the perfection of God contrasted with the fallen nature of man and his sinful nature. It is taken from what is known as “Deutero-Isaiah”, that part written after the Babylonian exile. Using words common to the Old Testament (see Amos 5:4, and Psalm 9:11), the prophet exhorts the people to return to God. The essential paradox of God’s presences is explained; “God is transcendent yet near enough to help; man is helpless yet expected to act energetically, the ways of God are exalted yet required of man.”[8]
CCC: Is 55:1 694, 2121; Is 55:3 762
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Isaiah 55:1-11
#21B Solemnities B Context (The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord B)
#41ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
As I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of nations,
so shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and nations that knew you not shall run to you,
because of the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.
Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
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Commentary on Is 55:1-11
In this selection from Isaiah the prophet paints a picture of the salvific power of the Messiah to come. He tells the poor and downtrodden that faith in God’s saving grace shall bring them the reward of their faith. We also hear how God’s salvation is given to all peoples. We recall, as the prophet reminds us, that salvation flows from his promise to extend David’s line; that the Messiah comes from that lineage in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the Lord,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the Lord has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Is 49:1-6
In this passage, the beginning of the second of the four "Servant of the Lord" or “Suffering Servant” oracles, the Prophet Isaiah speaks of his own call of service to God. It presents him as “another Jeremiah”: He is called from his mother’s womb (see Jeremiah 1:5). The prophet has a vocation to the gentiles (Jeremiah 1:10; Jeremiah 25:15ff) to bring a message of both doom and happiness (Jeremiah 16:19-21).[4] We note that God sets his servants on their course from before their birth (see also Luke 1:15 (St. John the Baptist), Luke 1:31 (Jesus) and Galatians 1:15 (St. Paul the Apostle)).
The servant learns that, even at times when his effort seems to have failed (“Though I thought I had toiled in vain”), it is God’s strength and plan that succeeds (“my recompense is with my God”)(see also 1 Corinthians 4:1-5). The prophet’s role is expanded at the end of the passage to “reach to the ends of the earth,” a revelation further elaborated in Genesis 12:3; Luke 2:31-32; and Acts 13:47.
CCC: Is 49:1-6 713; Is 49:5-6 64
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Isaiah 49:3, 5-6
#64A Sunday A Context (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
The Lord said to me: You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Now the Lord has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the Lord says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Is 49:3, 5-6
The Prophet Isaiah proclaims his mission to call the people of Israel, the “House of Jacob,” back to God, as the second “[Suffering] Servant Song” begins. The people are disillusioned following their return from exile in Babylon. He calls first to the dispersed people of Israel, as the Lord’s plan unfolds in him. He announces that all the world will be called to worship God. (“I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”)
CCC: Is 49:1-6 713; Is 49:5-6 64
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Isaiah 49:8-15
#246 Weekday Years I & II Context (Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent)
Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
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Commentary on Is 49:8-15
This reading from Isaiah is a part of the second of the “Servant of the Lord” oracles. In this segment, the servant promises salvation to the captives and light to those in darkness. He has led the people by pleasant and safe paths and has shown mercy. The response from Zion is “the Lord has forsaken me,” to which we hear the tender response: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” God’s fidelity and faithfulness are assured.
CCC: Is 49:13 716; Is 49:14-15 219 , 370; Is 49:15 239
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Isaiah 49:13-15
#995 Votive Mass Context (Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 4.)
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
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Commentary on Is 49:13-15
This reading from Isaiah is a part of the second “Servant of the Lord” oracles. In this segment, we hear a promise from God that salvation is for his people and they should rejoice. The response from Zion is “the Lord has forsaken them.” To which we hear the tender response; “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” God’s fidelity and faithfulness is assured.
CCC: Is 49:13 716; Is 49:14-15 219, 370; Is 49:15 239
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Isaiah 49:14-15
#82A Solemnities A Context (8th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my LORD has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
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Commentary on Is 49:14-15
This reading from Isaiah is a part of the second “Servant of the Lord” oracles. The servant has promised salvation to the captives and light to those in darkness. The response from Zion is the Lord has forsaken them. To which we hear the tender response: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” God’s fidelity and faithfulness is assured.
CCC: Is 49:14-15 219, 370; Is 49:15 239
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Isaiah 50:4-9a
#259 Weekday Years I & II Context (Wednesday of Holy Week)
#958 Mass for Various Needs Context (IV. For Various Needs, 30. For Our Oppressors, Second Option)
#969 Votive Mass Context (The Mystery of the Holy Cross, 3.)
The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
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Commentary on Is 50:4-9a
This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. These four comprise the “Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the messiah, describing the humble ministry of Christ.
In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The “weary” are those ground down by oppression and the “Word” that will rouse them is hope in God. In doing this he has incurred the wrath of the powerful, the oppressors. In spite of the persecution he suffers, he is steadfast in his mission as his faith in God sustains him.
CCC: Is 50:4-10 713; Is 50:4 141
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Isaiah 50:5-9a
#131B Solemnities B Context (24th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
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Commentary on Is 50:5-9a
This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. These four comprise the “Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the messiah describing the humble ministry of Christ.
In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The “weary” are those bowed down by oppression and the “word” that will rouse them is hope in God. (Isaiah 50:4) In doing this he has incurred the wrath of the powerful, the oppressors, but he is steadfast in his mission as his faith in God sustains him, in spite of the persecution he suffers. God chastises the people for not following the servant who willingly accepts God’s service and even the contempt of the people. The image of humble service is frequently associated with the suffering servant prophetic of Christ.
CCC: Is 50:4-10 713
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Isaiah 50:4-7
#38A Solemnities A Context (Psalm Sunday of the Lord's Passion A)
#38B Solemnities B Context (Psalm Sunday of the Lord's Passion B)
#38C Solemnities C Context (Psalm Sunday of the Lord's Passion C)
The Lord God has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord God is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
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Commentary on Is 50:4-7
This is the third of four “Servant of the Lord” oracles in Isaiah. God chastises the people for not following the servant who willingly accepts God’s service and even accepts the contempt of the people. The image of humble service is frequently associated with the suffering servant, prophetic of Christ.
“The poem is neatly constructed in three stanzas, each beginning with the words, ‘The Lord God’ (vv. 4, 5, 7), and it has a conclusion containing that same wording (v. 9). The first stanza emphasizes the servant’s docility to the word of God; that is, he is not depicted as a self-taught teacher with original ideas, but as an obedient disciple. The second (vv. 5-6) speaks of the suffering that that docility has brought him, without his uttering a word of complaint. The third (vv. 7-8) shows how determined the servant is: if he suffers in silence, it is not out of cowardice but because God helps him and makes him stronger than his persecutors. The conclusion (v. 9) is like the verdict of a trial: when all is said and done, the servant will stand tall, and all his enemies will be struck down.”[9]
CCC: Is 50:4-10 713; Is 50:4 141
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Isaiah 52:7-10
#16ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Nativity of the Lord Christmas –Day ABC)
#526 Proper of Saint Context (St. Ansgar Feb 2)
#663A Proper of Saint Context (St. John Paul II Oct 22)
#665 Proper of Saint Context (St. Anthony Mary Claret Oct 24)
#683 Proper of Saints Context (St. Columban, Nov 23)
#719 Commons Context (Common of Pastors)
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the Lord restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
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Commentary on Is 52:7-10
At the time of its writing, the prophet’s intent was to proclaim the joy of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile to Judah. He sees the event as salvation for the Hebrew people. God leads them back to the land he gave their fathers.
“These verses form the famous poem of the ‘messenger of peace’ who ‘brings good tidings.’ The ideas of the first oracle of this second part of the book (Isaiah 40:1-11) are repeated here very beautifully. The messenger's feet are praised - a symbol of his speed and surefootedness when crossing the mountains, which is where important news comes from (cf. Isaiah 40:9). His message (v. 7) is described very significantly as involving ‘peace,’ which in Isaiah means safety in Israel after the hardships of exile; ‘good tidings’ or, more literally, ‘news of goodness and well-being,’ that is, genuine material and spiritual prosperity; and 'salvation,' which is permanent renewal on all levels. The three words read together mean the highest degree of happiness imaginable. The core of this message is the enthronement of God: ‘Your God reigns,’ similar to Isaiah 40:9: ‘Behold your God.’”[19]
From a greater distance and depth of understanding, we see him announcing the coming of the messiah and the salvation that comes to the new Jerusalem through Jesus Christ.
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Isaiah 52:13—53:12
#40ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Good Friday of the Lord's Passion)
#790 Ritual Mass Context (V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying, 1. Anointing of the Sick, 8.)
#969 Votive Mass Context (Mystery of the Holy Cross, 4.)
#982 Votive Mass Context (Jesus Christ, The Eternal High Priest, First Option)
See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.
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Commentary on Is 52:13—53:12
The last of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles is used on Good Friday. A lament for the prophet’s own ill treatment and a prediction of the passion is seen here, beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).
The later paragraphs describe how the servant becomes the “sin offering,” a sacrifice in the Jewish tradition in atonement for sins. In this case we are told, “[H]e shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.”
CCC: Is 52:13-53:12 713; Is 53:1 591; Is 53:4-6 1505; Is 53:4 517, 1505; Is 53:7-8 601; Is 53:7 608; Is 53:8 627; Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502; Is 53:12 536, 608
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Isaiah 53:1-5, 7-10
#44O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick)
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
The servant grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that the servant bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins,
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush his servant in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
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Commentary on Is 53:1-5, 7-10
This passage is taken from the fourth "Suffering Servant" lament from Isaiah. It is considered to be a testament to the prophet’s own ill treatment. We see in it also a prediction of the passion beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).
In this selection the explicit forms of abuse suffered become a prophetic vision of Christ's passion. While Christians see clearly the messianic prophecy in the lament, the overall message extols the virtue of expiatory suffering. The Suffering Servant, like Christ did not suffer in themselves so much as they accepted their suffering that others might not suffer. Their suffering was offered as a sacrifice to God on behalf of others; that God, in his great mercy, would accept that sacrifice and pour out graces upon those for whom the suffering was offered. In offering this sacrifice, the selection concludes, the one who does so shall be justified before God.
CCC: Is 53:1 591; Is 53:4-6 1505; Is 53:4 517, 1505; Is 53:7-8 601; Is 53:7 608; Is 53:8 627; Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623
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Isaiah 53:1-5, 10-11
#933 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 24. For the Sick, Second Option)
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
One of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
While we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins,
Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
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Commentary on Is 53:1-5, 10-11
This passage is taken from the fourth "Suffering Servant" lament from Isaiah. It is considered to be a testament to the prophet’s own ill treatment. We see in it also a prediction of the passion beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).
While Christians see clearly the messianic prophecy in the lament, the overall message extols the virtue of expiatory suffering. The Suffering Servant, like Christ did not suffer in themselves so much as they accepted their suffering that others might not suffer. Their suffering was offered as a sacrifice to God on behalf of others; that God, in his great mercy, would accept that sacrifice and pour out graces upon those for whom the suffering was offered. In offering this sacrifice, the selection concludes, the one who does so shall be justified before God.
CCC: Is 53:1 591; Is 53:4-6 1505; Is 53:4 517, 1505; Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502
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Isaiah 53:10-11
#146B Solemnities B Context (29th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness
of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
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Commentary on Is 53:10-11
This fourth part of the “suffering servant” discourse takes up the topic of the value of suffering. It describes how the servant becomes the “sin offering,” a sacrifice in the Jewish tradition in atonement for sins. In this case we are told, “through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.” The Hebrew tradition holds up this passage as a clear reference to the messiah. The image painted by these words portrays how Jesus came to fulfill the prophet’s promise as he offered his life, suffering and dying upon the cross.
CCC: Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502
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Isaiah 54:1-10
#190 Weekday I & II Context (Thursday of the 3rd Week of Advent)
Raise a glad cry, you barren one who did not bear,
Break forth in jubilant song, you who were not in labor,
For more numerous are the children of the deserted wife
than the children of her who has a husband,
says the LORD.
Enlarge the space for your tent,
spread out your tent cloths unsparingly;
lengthen your ropes and make firm your stakes.
For you shall spread abroad to the right and to the left;
your descendants shall dispossess the nations
and shall people the desolate cities.
Fear not, you shall not be put to shame;
you need not blush, for you shall not be disgraced.
The shame of your youth you shall forget,
the reproach of your widowhood no longer remember.
For he who has become your husband is your Maker;
his name is the LORD of hosts;
Your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
called God of all the earth.
The LORD calls you back,
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
A wife married in youth and then cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great tenderness I will take you back.
In an outburst of wrath, for a moment
I hid my face from you;
But with enduring love I take pity on you,
says the LORD, your redeemer.
This is for me like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
should never again deluge the earth;
So I have sworn not to be angry with you,
or to rebuke you.
Though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be shaken,
My love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
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Commentary on Is 54:1-10
The prophet provides an analogy of the New Zion (New Jerusalem) using the sterile wife image seen many times in Old Testament Scripture (see also Sarah in Genesis 15:2; 16:1, Rachel in Genesis 29:31, Manoah’s wife in Judges 13:2 and Anna in 1 Samuel 1:2). All of these women bore children through God’s special intervention. Likewise the Heavenly Father would give his special providence to barren Jerusalem if her people return to the faith of their holy forebears. For the Christian, we are also reminded of Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist who brought the last prophet forth from a barren womb to fulfill yet another prophecy.
The reference relevant to the Hebrews reflects upon the Babylonian exile (“For a brief moment I abandoned you …“). It is understood by the Christian faithful to refer to the New Jerusalem, Zion the Church, God’s heavenly kingdom. In this oracle the Prophet speaks of the everlasting covenant that would be the messiah (Galatians 4:27).
CCC: Is 54 1611; Is 54:8 220; Is 54:10 220
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Isaiah 54:5-14
#41ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)
The One who has become your husband is your Maker;
his name is the LORD of hosts;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
called God of all the earth.
The LORD calls you back,
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
a wife married in youth and then cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great tenderness I will take you back.
In an outburst of wrath, for a moment
I hid my face from you;
but with enduring love I take pity on you,
says the LORD, your redeemer.
This is for me like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
should never again deluge the earth;
so I have sworn not to be angry with you,
or to rebuke you.
Though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be shaken,
my love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
O afflicted one, storm-battered and unconsoled,
I lay your pavements in carnelians,
and your foundations in sapphires;
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
In justice shall you be established,
far from the fear of oppression,
where destruction cannot come near you.
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Commentary on Is 54:5-14
Isaiah portrays Jerusalem as the wife in relationship with God. The reference, relevant to the Hebrews, reflects upon the Babylonian exile (“For a brief moment I abandoned you …“) and the return from that exile. The people, by returning to the land God gave them, are returning to God’s favor (“In justice shall you be established, far from the fear of oppression, where destruction cannot come near you “). This passage is understood by the Christian faithful to refer to the New Jerusalem, Zion, the Church, and God’s heavenly kingdom. In this oracle the prophet speaks of the everlasting covenant that would be established in the Messiah.
CCC: Is 55:1 694, 2121; Is 55:3 762
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Isaiah 55:1-3
#112A Solemnities A Context (18th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Thus says the Lord:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
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Commentary on Is 55:1-3
The author, writing after the Babylonian exile, offers God’s invitation to the heavenly banquet in the new Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom. All that is necessary for admittance is a thirst for the Lord. The theme of gift is emphasized as it is made clear that it is without cost or merit that eternal life is offered. The promise of the messiah is alluded to as the prophet recalls that God’s covenant with David – the continuation of his line, is assured.
The imagery set forward in this passage recalls the promise of adoption through living water in baptism (“All you who are thirsty, come to the water!”), and continued grace offered through the Eucharist (“Why spend your money for what is not bread”).
CCC: Is 55:1 694, 2121; Is 55:3 762
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Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-9
#892 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 15. Reconciliation, First Option)
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me needfully;
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his ways,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
Let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
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Commentary on Is 55:1-3, 6-9
The post exilic author offers God’s invitation to the heavenly banquet in the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom. All that is necessary for admittance is a thirst for the Lord. The theme of gift is emphasized as it is made clear that it is without cost or merit that eternal life is offered. The promise of the messiah is alluded to as the prophet recalls that God’s covenant with David – the continuation of his line, is assured.
The imagery set forward in this passage recalls the promise of adoption through living water in Baptism (“All you who are thirsty, come to the water!”) and continued grace offered through the Eucharist (“Why spend your money for what is not bread”)
The passage continues with an exhortation to seek the Lord through prayer (call him while he is near) and to repent from sinful ways asking God's forgiveness. The author captures the perfection of God's thoughts (and of Christ's actions prophetically) expressing the perfection of God contrasted with the fallen nature of man and his sinful nature. It is taken from what is known as “Deutero-Isaiah”, that part written after the Babylonian exile. Using words common to the Old Testament (see Amos 5:4, and Psalm 9:11), the prophet exhorts the people to return to God. The essential paradox of God’s presences is explained; “God is transcendent yet near enough to help; man is helpless yet expected to act energetically, the ways of God are exalted yet required of man.”[8]
CCC: Is 55:1 694, 2121; Is 55:3 762
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Isaiah 55:1-11
#21B Solemnities B Context (The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord B)
#41ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
As I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of nations,
so shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and nations that knew you not shall run to you,
because of the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.
Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
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Commentary on Is 55:1-11
In this selection from Isaiah the prophet paints a picture of the salvific power of the Messiah to come. He tells the poor and downtrodden that faith in God’s saving grace shall bring them the reward of their faith. We also hear how God’s salvation is given to all peoples. We recall, as the prophet reminds us, that salvation flows from his promise to extend David’s line; that the Messiah comes from that lineage in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
"The scene addresses a troubled time. The people are pious, and the temple is in use, but violence, dissension, oppression, and trouble testify to a lack of peace and blessing. The people do not understand why their pious acts of worship, which God recognizes, are not rewarded.
"The answer is that they worship in ways that seem good only to themselves. They do the things they like to do, including fasting, ostentation, and self-humiliation (cf. Jesus’ words in Matt 6:5; 23:6; Luke 11:42–43; 20:46), in order to forget their troubles and ignore their problems though violence is all around them."[34]------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 55:6-13
#912 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 19. For Productive Land, Second Option)
Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his ways,
and the wicked his thoughts;
Let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
My word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which 1 sent it.
Yes, in joy you shall depart,
in peace you shall be brought back;
Mountains and hills shall break out in song before you,
and all the trees of the countryside shall clap their hands.
In place of the thornbush, the cypress shall grow,
instead of nettles, the myrtle.
This shall be to the LORD'S renown,
an everlasting imperishable sign.
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Commentary on Is 55:6-13
The passage begins with an exhortation to seek the Lord through prayer (call him while he is near) and to repent from sinful ways asking God's forgiveness. The author captures the perfection of God's thoughts (and of Christ's actions prophetically) expressing the perfection of God contrasted with the fallen nature of man and his sinful nature. It is taken from what is known as “Deutero-Isaiah”, that part written after the Babylonian exile. Using words common to the Old Testament (see Amos 5:4, and Psalm 9:11), the prophet exhorts the people to return to God. The essential paradox of God’s presences is explained; “God is transcendent yet near enough to help; man is helpless yet expected to act energetically, the ways of God are exalted yet required of man.”[8]
This reading represents the conclusion of Isaiah’s exhortation about the New Jerusalem. In these few verses we hear how the word of God must be soaked up by the faithful as rain is soaked up by the earth. Once it is absorbed it produces the desired result. Similar thought is expressed in the Gospel of St. John in his exhortation on the Eucharist (John 6:32) as the Word come down from heaven.
“The Word comes from God, but it can be heard only when it is soaked up in human life and spoken with human accents. Deutero-Isaiah [Deutero-Isaiah refers to the second half of the book, written during the Babylonian exile] explains world history, particularly the sacred history of Israel, through the deep, omnipotent presence of the Word (cf. Wisdom 8:1; 2 Corinthians 9:10). M.-E. Boismard attributes to this text the immediate origin of the Johannine theology of the Word (St. John's Prologue [Westminster, 1957] 100). We hear its echo in John's doctrine of the Eucharist-the Word come down from heaven and received as bread (John 6:32, 35).”[6]
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Isaiah 55:6-9
#133A Solemnities A Context (25th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
#948 Mass for Various Needs Context (IV. For Various Needs, 27. For the Remission of Sins, First Option)
Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the Lord for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
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Commentary on Is 55:6-9
This passage begins with an exhortation to seek the Lord through prayer (call him while he is near), and to repent from sinful ways, asking for God's forgiveness. The author captures the perfection of God's thoughts (and of Christ's actions prophetically), expressing the perfection of God contrasted with the fallen and sinful nature of mankind. The passage is taken from what is known as “Deutero-Isaiah,” that part written after the Babylonian exile. Using words common to the Old Testament (see Amos 5:4, and Psalm 9:11), the prophet exhorts the people to return to God. The essential paradox of God’s presence is explained: “God is transcendent yet near enough to help; man is helpless yet expected to act energetically, the ways of God are exalted yet required of man.”[8]
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Isaiah 55:10-11
#103A Sundays A Context (15th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
#225 Weekday Years I & II Context (Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent)
#780 Ritual Mass Context (IV. For the Conferral of Ministires, 1. Institution of Readers, Fouth Option)
Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
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Commentary on Is 55:10-11
This reading represents the conclusion of Isaiah’s exhortation about the new Jerusalem. In these few verses we hear how the word of God must be soaked up by the faithful, as rain is soaked up by the earth. Once it is absorbed it produces the desired result. Similar thought is expressed in the Gospel of St. John in his exhortation on the Eucharist (John 6:32) as the Word come down from heaven.
“The Word comes from God, but it can be heard only when it is soaked up in human life and spoken with human accents. Deutero-Isaiah [Deutero-Isaiah refers to the second half of the book, written during the Babylonian exile] explains world history, particularly the sacred history of Israel, through the deep, omnipotent presence of the Word (cf. Wisdom 8:1; 2 Corinthians 9:10). M.-E. Boismard attributes to this text the immediate origin of the Johannine theology of the Word (St. John's Prologue [Westminster, 1957] 100). We hear its echo in John's doctrine of the Eucharist-the Word come down from heaven and received as bread (John 6:32, 35).”[6]
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Isaiah 56:1-3a, 6-8
#191 Weekday I & II Context (Friday of the 3rd Week of Advent)
Thus says the LORD:
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.
Blessed is the man who does this,
the son of man who holds to it;
Who keeps the sabbath free from profanation,
and his hand from any evildoing.
Let not the foreigner say,
when he would join himself to the LORD,
"The LORD will surely exclude me from his people."
The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him,
Loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants--
All who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
For my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord GOD,
who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
Others will I gather to him
besides those already gathered.
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Commentary on Is 56:1-3a, 6-8
This passage is part of what scholars call the “Post Exilic Torah,” or the law after their return to Israel following the Diaspora. It begins with a call to holiness. It is a call to the Hebrews to keep the law as the people return. It is only through this discipline of the Law of Moses that the people are set apart as the chosen people of God.
In this selection we also see that foreigners (those living outside Palestine) are offered membership in the faith community. The other important element is that the temple is given the name “a house of prayer.” This passage was quoted by Jesus as he drove the money changers from the temple (see Mark 11:17 and Matthew 21:13).
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Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
#118A Solemnities A Context (20th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
#701 Commons Context (The Common of the Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church)
#827 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 1. For the Church, 1.)
#872 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 11. For the Evangelization of Peoples, 2.)
#32O-2 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Teacher in the Spirit)
Thus says the Lord:
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.
The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
ministering to him,
loving the name of the Lord,
and becoming his servants—
all who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
for my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.
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Commentary on Is 56:1, 6-7
This passage is part of what scholars call the “Post-Exilic Torah,” or the law after the return. In this selection we see that foreigners (those living outside Palestine) are offered membership in the faith community. The other important element is that the temple is given the name “a house of prayer.” This passage was quoted by Jesus as he drove the money changers from the temple (see Mark 11:17 and Matthew 21:13).
"The scene defines the legacy to which this generation of YHWH’s servants fall heir. It is provided for them without cost by their gracious God. It consists of a permanent contract with the same provisions given to David in the previous age. It provides for political stability, order, and justice. It provides for economic prosperity for the people. It makes possible worship, witness, and service of YHWH in Zion, his city, and in Palestine, his land." [31]
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Isaiah 57:15-19
#887 Mass for Various Needs Context (For Public Needs, 14. For Peace and Justice, Third Option)
Thus says he who is high and exalted,
living eternally, whose name is the Holy One:
On high I dwell, and in holiness,
and with the crushed and dejected in spirit,
To revive the spirits of the dejected,
to revive the hearts of the crushed.
I will not accuse forever,
nor always be angry;
For their spirits would faint before me,
the souls that I have made.
Because of their wicked avarice I was angry,
and struck them, hiding myself in wrath,
as they went their own rebellious way.
I saw their ways,
but I will heal them and lead them;
I will give full comfort
to them and to those who mourn for them,
I, the Creator, who gave them life.
Peace, peace to the far and the near,
says the LORD; and I will heal them.
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Commentary on Is 57:15-19
This touching psalm is from the post-exile discourse. It is one of three found in this section of Isaiah referring to God's mercy. We note that the prophet refers God "dwelling" with the "crushed and dejected." The language used here is similar to God dwelling in the tents of Moses (see Numbers 16:27 and 24:5); an intimate relationship in times of difficulty.The afflicted are promised God's peace; "full comfort" (see also Ephesians 2:17. The promise is fulfilled in the final verse of the selection where peace and healing are offered.
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Isaiah 58:1-9a
#221 Weekday Years I & II Context (Friday after Ash Wednesday)
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Tell my people their wickedness,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
“Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?”
Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 58:1-9a
This passage is from what is known as Deutero-Isaiah. It was written in the latter part of the Babylonian exile (700 BC). The prophet begins this passage with a recounting of God’s call to him and his mission statement: “Tell my people their wickedness, and the house of Jacob their sins.” The Jerusalem Bible translation is better: “Proclaim their faults to my people, their sins to the House of Jacob,” as is the Revised Standard Version [Navarre] “declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.”
Isaiah’s lament continues as he chastises the people for missing the point of their fasts of atonement. They perform the rituals and follow the law but then violate the spirit of God’s Law by being uncaring and cruel to each other.
Finally the prophet explains the spirit of the law, what that is, and how it is to impact their actions. He closes with a description of the reward for following the spirit of God’s Law: “Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’”
CCC: Is 58:6-7 2447
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 58:6-11
#635A Proper of Saints Context (Saint Teresa of Calcutta, September 5)
#636A Proper of Saints Context (St. Peter Claver, September 9)
#630 Proper of Saints Context (St. Louis of France, Aug 25)
#676 Proper of Saints Context (St. Margaret of Scotland, Nov 16)
#737 Commons Context (Common of Holy Men and Women)
#882 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country or a City or For those who Serve in Public Office or For the Congress or For the President or For The Progress of Peoples, 9.)
#922 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 21. In Time of Famine or for Those Who Suffer from Famine, Third Option)
Thus says the LORD:
This is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 58:6-11
This passage is from what is known as Deutero-Isaiah. It was written in the latter part of the Babylonian exile (700 BC). Isaiah laments and chastises the people for missing the point of their fasts of atonement. They perform the rituals and follow the law but then violate the spirit of God’s Law by being uncaring and cruel to each other.
The prophet explains what that spirit is and how it is to impact their actions and closes with the reward for following the spirit of God’s Law – “Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’”[7] He goes on to describe the salvific effect of these actions of charity and compassion as being as a light in darkness, as rain in parched land. He concludes with what can be seen as baptismal reference (well-spring of holiness) that brings eternal life.
CCC: Is 58:6-7 2447
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 58:7-10
#73A Sundays A Context (5th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 58:7-10
This selection from Isaiah in the post-exilic period is part of the second in a series of poems. It speaks to the concept of fasting, a practice invoked in times of bereavement and national sorrow (see 2 Samuel 1:12; 3:35 and also Joshua 7:6; Judges 20:26 ). This poem extols the virtue of charity, sharing with those in need, even as the faithful practice the ritual fast.
“Fasting should unite rich and poor, so that all taste the dust out of which each was made (Genesis 3:19). Only the wealthy can fast; they alone have something of which to deprive themselves. In fasting they share the lot of the poor who are always hungry. To fast and yet neglect the poor is a perverted form of conceit.”[5]
CCC: Is 58:6-7 2447
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 58:9b-14
#222 Weekday Years I & II Context (Saturday after Ash Wednesday)
Thus says the LORD:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake,
and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you,
“Restorer of ruined homesteads.”
If you hold back your foot on the sabbath
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
and the LORD’s holy day honorable;
If you honor it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice-
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 58:9b-14
This selection from Isaiah in the post-exilic period is part of the second in a series of poems. The prophet continues exhorting the people to understand that God desires a spirit of compassion and generosity. He tells the people that if they follow this course they will be greatly rewarded and will receive rich blessings from God.
In verses 10-14 Isaiah explains what it means to keep the sabbath day holy. Again, following this command brings the faithful rich rewards from God. Paraphrasing the passage, Sabbath observance means finding joy in worshiping the Lord on the one day set aside from all other days as a day of worship in communion with the Holy One of Israel and putting God above all other things in one's life.
#630 Proper of Saints Context (St. Louis of France, Aug 25)
#676 Proper of Saints Context (St. Margaret of Scotland, Nov 16)
#737 Commons Context (Common of Holy Men and Women)
#882 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country or a City or For those who Serve in Public Office or For the Congress or For the President or For The Progress of Peoples, 9.)
#922 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 21. In Time of Famine or for Those Who Suffer from Famine, Third Option)
Thus says the LORD:
This is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 58:6-11
This passage is from what is known as Deutero-Isaiah. It was written in the latter part of the Babylonian exile (700 BC). Isaiah laments and chastises the people for missing the point of their fasts of atonement. They perform the rituals and follow the law but then violate the spirit of God’s Law by being uncaring and cruel to each other.
The prophet explains what that spirit is and how it is to impact their actions and closes with the reward for following the spirit of God’s Law – “Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’”[7] He goes on to describe the salvific effect of these actions of charity and compassion as being as a light in darkness, as rain in parched land. He concludes with what can be seen as baptismal reference (well-spring of holiness) that brings eternal life.
CCC: Is 58:6-7 2447
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 58:7-10
#73A Sundays A Context (5th Sunday in Ordinary Time A)
Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 58:7-10
This selection from Isaiah in the post-exilic period is part of the second in a series of poems. It speaks to the concept of fasting, a practice invoked in times of bereavement and national sorrow (see 2 Samuel 1:12; 3:35 and also Joshua 7:6; Judges 20:26 ). This poem extols the virtue of charity, sharing with those in need, even as the faithful practice the ritual fast.
“Fasting should unite rich and poor, so that all taste the dust out of which each was made (Genesis 3:19). Only the wealthy can fast; they alone have something of which to deprive themselves. In fasting they share the lot of the poor who are always hungry. To fast and yet neglect the poor is a perverted form of conceit.”[5]
CCC: Is 58:6-7 2447
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 58:9b-14
#222 Weekday Years I & II Context (Saturday after Ash Wednesday)
Thus says the LORD:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake,
and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you,
“Restorer of ruined homesteads.”
If you hold back your foot on the sabbath
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
and the LORD’s holy day honorable;
If you honor it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice-
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 58:9b-14
This selection from Isaiah in the post-exilic period is part of the second in a series of poems. The prophet continues exhorting the people to understand that God desires a spirit of compassion and generosity. He tells the people that if they follow this course they will be greatly rewarded and will receive rich blessings from God.
In verses 10-14 Isaiah explains what it means to keep the sabbath day holy. Again, following this command brings the faithful rich rewards from God. Paraphrasing the passage, Sabbath observance means finding joy in worshiping the Lord on the one day set aside from all other days as a day of worship in communion with the Holy One of Israel and putting God above all other things in one's life.
"The scene addresses a troubled time. The people are pious,
and the temple is in use, but violence, dissension, oppression, and trouble
testify to a lack of peace and blessing. The people do not understand why their
pious acts of worship, which God recognizes, are not rewarded.
"The answer is that they worship in ways that seem good only to themselves. They do the things they like to do, including fasting, ostentation, and self-humiliation (cf. Jesus’ words in Matt 6:5; 23:6; Luke 11:42–43; 20:46), in order to forget their troubles and ignore their problems though violence is all around them." [32]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Isaiah 60:1-6
#20ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Epiphany of the Lord )
#827 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 1. For the Church, 2.)
#872 Mass for Varous Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 11. For the Evangelization of Peoples, 3.)
#6C BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Epiphany of the Lord, Christmas 6)
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 60:1-6
The Church sees, in the images of Isaiah’s prophecy, symbols of her universality in this section of a hymn envisioning a completely restored and radiant Jerusalem. We hear echoes of Isaiah’s prophetic vision of the coming of Christ and what that means (“See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory.”) Verses 5 and 6 give clear reference to the arrival of the magi as the prophet envisions the gifts of gold and frankincense being brought from the East in praise of the Lord.
"Today, the wise man finds lying in a manger the One he had searched for as a brilliant light shining among the stars. Today, the wise man sees wrapped in swaddling clothes the One he long sought to find, unveiled, in the heavens. Today, to his great surprise, the wise man discerns in what he studies: heaven on earth, earth in the heavens, man in God, and God in man; what the whole universe could not contain inhabits the body of a child. And seeing all this, he believes and doubts no more; and he announces it to all, using his mystical powers: incense for God, gold for the King, and myrrh for the One who will die. Today, the Gentile who was once last is first, because the faith of the wise man sanctifies the belief of all the peoples" (St Peter Chrysologus, "Sermones", 160). [22]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9
#260 Weekday Years I & II Context (Mass of Chrism)
#764 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 4. Confirmation, 3.)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
To announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God,
to comfort all who mourn;
To place on those who mourn in Zion
a diadem instead of ashes,
To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,
a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
You yourselves shall be named priests of the LORD,
ministers of our God shall you be called.
I will give them their recompense faithfully,
a lasting covenant I will make with them.
Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
All who see them shall acknowledge them
as a race the LORD has blessed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9
The prophetic vision from Isaiah begins with words used by Jesus himself in Luke 4: 18-19. In the day it was first used, it was inspired by the return of the faithful from the Babylonian exile. It envisions the coming of the messianic age, foreseeing the saving work of the messiah (“glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners”).
The oracle continues, seeing the reestablishment of the temple and priests to serve it. This vision is also seen as the prediction of the new covenant and the establishment of the new Jerusalem. All who dwell there are blessed.
CCC: Is 61:1-2 714; Is 61:1 436, 695, 716, 1286; Is 61:6 1539
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 61:1-3d
#561A Proper of Saints Context (Saint Damien Joseph De Veuster of Molaka’i, Priest, May 10)
#581 Proper of Saints Context (St. Anthony of Padua, Jun 13)
#673 Proper of Saints Context (St. Martin of Tours, Nov 11) [note: Citation is -3abcd]
#719 Commons Context (Common of Pastors) [note: Citation is -3a]
#770 Ritual Mass Context (II. For the Conferral of Holy Orders, Third Option [For Bishops and Priests])
#790 Ritual Mass Context (V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying, 1 Anointing of the Sick, 9.)
#833 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 3. For the Election of a Pope or a Bishop)
#843 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 5. For Priests, First Option)
The spirit of the Lord Goo is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
To announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God,
to comfort all who mourn;
To place on those who mourn in Zion
a diadem instead of ashes,
To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,
a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 61:1-3d
The prophetic vision from Isaiah begins with words used by Jesus himself in Luke 4: 18-19. In the day it was first used it was inspired by the return of faithful from the Babylonian exile. It envisions the coming of the messianic age, foreseeing the saving work of the messiah (“…glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners”).
CCC: Is 61:1-2 714; Is 61:1 436, 695, 716, 1286
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 61:1-3,10-11
#41O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation)
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God,
to comfort all who mourn;
to place on those who mourn in Zion
a diadem instead of ashes,
to give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,
a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
They will be called oaks of justice,
planted by the LORD to show his glory.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 61:1-3,10-11
The prophetic vision from Isaiah begins with words used by Jesus himself in Luke 4: 18-19. In the day it was first used it was inspired by the return of faithful from the Babylonian exile. It envisions the coming of the messianic age, foreseeing the saving work of the messiah (“…glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners”).
The realization of salvation brings such joy to the prophet that his very soul sings to God in the joy of the God’s mercy and justice. This same sentiment is expressed and echoed in the Canticle of Mary. A secondary image of the messianic age is also brought forward as the concept of bride of salvation is envisioned (the people vindicated or rescued by God now joined to the savior – wedded through His saving acts).
CCC: Is 61:1-2 714; Is 61:1 436, 695, 716, 1286
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
#8B Solemnities B Context (3rd Sunday of Advent B)
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 61:1-2a, 10-11
The prophetic vision from Isaiah begins with words used by Jesus himself in Luke 4:18-19. When it was first used, it was inspired by the return of faithful from the Babylonian exile. It envisions the coming of the messianic age, foreseeing the saving work of the messiah (“glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners”).
The realization of salvation brings such joy to the prophet that his very soul sings to God in joy for God’s mercy and justice. This same sentiment is expressed and echoed in the Canticle of Mary (Luke 1:46-55). A secondary image of the messianic age is also brought forward as the concept of the bride of salvation is envisioned (the people vindicated or rescued by God now joined to the Savior – wedded through his saving acts).
CCC: Is 61:1-2 714; Is 61:1 436, 695, 716, 1286
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 61:9-11
#573 Proper of Saints Context (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saturday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost)
#707 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
#563A Proper of Saints Context (Our Lady of Fatima, May 13)
#811 Ritual Mass Context (VIII. For the Consecration of Virgins and Religious Profession, 8.)
#852 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 7. For Religious, Third Option)
#34O-2 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Cause of Our Joy)
Thus says the LORD:
The descendants of my people shall be renowned among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
All who see them shall acknowledge them
as a race the LORD has blessed.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
So will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 61:9-11
This selection provides the last verses of “Glad Tidings to the Lowly,” one of the songs of those returning from exile. Jesus quoted from the first part of this song (not included) when he announced the messianic kingdom had come (Luke 4:18-19). In these verses, the prophet sees the New Jerusalem coming forth as a light upon the world, bring salvation to the people and glory to God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 61:10a-d and f, 11; 62:2-3
#15E BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Resurrection of the Lord, Easter 15)
#20O-I BVM Context (Holy Mary, the New Eve, Ordinary Time, 20)
R. O Mary, you are the city of God in whom justice dwells.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
R. O Mary, you are the city of God in whom justice dwells.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
R. O Mary, you are the city of God in whom justice dwells.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
R. O Mary, you are the city of God in whom justice dwells.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 61:10a-d and f, 11; 62:2-3
This selection provides the last verses of “glad tidings to the lowly,” one of the songs of those returning from exile. In these verses, the prophet sees the new Jerusalem coming forth as a light upon the world, bringing salvation to the people and glory to God.
Christ is identified as the vindication of Israel. Once the Lord has delivered his salvation, the land will be called the Lord’s delight. Finally, the image of the bridegroom and the bride are used as a common metaphor for the messiah and the people of God (see also Hosea 2:11-15).
CCC: Is 62 1611
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Isaiah 62:1-5
#13ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Nativity of the Lord-Vigil ABC)
#66C Sunday C Context (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 62:1-5
Since the sixth century, Christian tradition has used this poem in the liturgy of Christmas Day. The birth of Jesus has brought about the joyful union of God and mankind in a way that surpasses that described in terms of spousal union. A monk of the Middle Ages made this beautiful comment: 'Like the bridegroom who comes out of his chamber the Lord came down from heaven to dwell on earth and to become one with the Church through his incarnation. The Church was gathered together from among the Gentiles, to whom he gave his dowry and his blessings -- his dowry, when God was made man; his blessings, when he was sacrificed for their salvation'" (Fausto de Riez, "Sermo 5 in Epiphania"). [23]
The restored “new Jerusalem” is formally called Zion. Isaiah, using poetic language, prophesies the coming of the Christ [messiah] with several references and images. Christ is identified as the vindication of Israel. Once the Lord has delivered his salvation, the land will be called the Lord’s delight. Finally, the image of the bridegroom and the bride are used as a common metaphor for the messiah and the people of God (see also Hosea 2:11-15).
CCC: Is 62 1611; Is 62:4-5 219
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Isaiah 62:11-12
#15ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Nativity of the Lord at Dawn ABC)
See, the LORD proclaims
to the ends of the earth:
say to daughter Zion,
your savior comes!
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
They shall be called the holy people,
the redeemed of the LORD,
and you shall be called “Frequented,”
a city that is not forsaken.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 62:11-12
This selection is the conclusion of a poem of joy over the salvation brought about through renewed faith in God and following his holy way. The new Jerusalem (daughter Zion), the kingdom of God rejoices in its salvation.
“Since the sixth century, Christian tradition has used this poem in the liturgy of Christmas day. The birth of Jesus has brought about the joyful union of God and mankind in a way that surpasses that described in terms of spousal union. A monk of the Middle Ages makes this beautiful comment: ‘Like the bridegroom who comes out of his chamber the Lord came down from heaven to dwell on earth and to become one with the Church through his incarnation. The Church was gathered together from among the Gentiles, to whom he gave his dowry and his blessings –his dowry, when God was made man; his blessings, when he was sacrificed for their salvation. ‘(Fausto de Riez, Sermo 5 in Epiphania).”[4]
CCC: s 62 1611
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Isaiah 63:7-9
#943 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 26. In Thanksgiving to God, Third Option)
The favors of the LORD I will recall,
the glorious deeds of the LORD,
Because of all he has done for us;
for he is good to the house of Israel,
He has favored us according to his mercy
and his great kindness.
The LORD said: They are indeed my people,
children who are not disloyal;
So he became their savior
in their every affliction.
It was not a messenger or an angel,
but he himself who saved them.
Because of his love and pity
he himself redeemed them,
Lifting them and carrying them
all the days of old.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 63:7-9
This passage begins a "Song of Entreaty," begging God for his mercy. The singer recalls the return to Jerusalem, which lies in ruins. The only hope of the people lies in God's saving hand. "God, however, seemed far away and his great redemptive acts buried in the past. The psalmist here identifies himself with the sinful people and pleads their cause before God."[15] The psalm continues, full of hope that God will lend a redemptive hand as he has always done through history.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
#2B Solemnities B Context (1st Sunday of Advent B)-
You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.
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Commentary on Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
This reading is part of what is called the “Psalm of Entreaty.” The Jewish people have returned from exile and find Jerusalem in ruins. Completely without resources, their only hope is in the Lord.
#673 Proper of Saints Context (St. Martin of Tours, Nov 11) [note: Citation is -3abcd]
#719 Commons Context (Common of Pastors) [note: Citation is -3a]
#770 Ritual Mass Context (II. For the Conferral of Holy Orders, Third Option [For Bishops and Priests])
#790 Ritual Mass Context (V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying, 1 Anointing of the Sick, 9.)
#833 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 3. For the Election of a Pope or a Bishop)
#843 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 5. For Priests, First Option)
The spirit of the Lord Goo is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
To announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God,
to comfort all who mourn;
To place on those who mourn in Zion
a diadem instead of ashes,
To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,
a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
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Commentary on Is 61:1-3d
The prophetic vision from Isaiah begins with words used by Jesus himself in Luke 4: 18-19. In the day it was first used it was inspired by the return of faithful from the Babylonian exile. It envisions the coming of the messianic age, foreseeing the saving work of the messiah (“…glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners”).
CCC: Is 61:1-2 714; Is 61:1 436, 695, 716, 1286
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Isaiah 61:1-3,10-11
#41O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation)
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God,
to comfort all who mourn;
to place on those who mourn in Zion
a diadem instead of ashes,
to give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,
a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
They will be called oaks of justice,
planted by the LORD to show his glory.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
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Commentary on Is 61:1-3,10-11
The prophetic vision from Isaiah begins with words used by Jesus himself in Luke 4: 18-19. In the day it was first used it was inspired by the return of faithful from the Babylonian exile. It envisions the coming of the messianic age, foreseeing the saving work of the messiah (“…glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners”).
The realization of salvation brings such joy to the prophet that his very soul sings to God in the joy of the God’s mercy and justice. This same sentiment is expressed and echoed in the Canticle of Mary. A secondary image of the messianic age is also brought forward as the concept of bride of salvation is envisioned (the people vindicated or rescued by God now joined to the savior – wedded through His saving acts).
CCC: Is 61:1-2 714; Is 61:1 436, 695, 716, 1286
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Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
#8B Solemnities B Context (3rd Sunday of Advent B)
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 61:1-2a, 10-11
The prophetic vision from Isaiah begins with words used by Jesus himself in Luke 4:18-19. When it was first used, it was inspired by the return of faithful from the Babylonian exile. It envisions the coming of the messianic age, foreseeing the saving work of the messiah (“glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners”).
The realization of salvation brings such joy to the prophet that his very soul sings to God in joy for God’s mercy and justice. This same sentiment is expressed and echoed in the Canticle of Mary (Luke 1:46-55). A secondary image of the messianic age is also brought forward as the concept of the bride of salvation is envisioned (the people vindicated or rescued by God now joined to the Savior – wedded through his saving acts).
CCC: Is 61:1-2 714; Is 61:1 436, 695, 716, 1286
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Isaiah 61:9-11
#573 Proper of Saints Context (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saturday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost)
#707 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
#563A Proper of Saints Context (Our Lady of Fatima, May 13)
#811 Ritual Mass Context (VIII. For the Consecration of Virgins and Religious Profession, 8.)
#852 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 7. For Religious, Third Option)
#34O-2 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Cause of Our Joy)
Thus says the LORD:
The descendants of my people shall be renowned among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
All who see them shall acknowledge them
as a race the LORD has blessed.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
So will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
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Commentary on Is 61:9-11
This selection provides the last verses of “Glad Tidings to the Lowly,” one of the songs of those returning from exile. Jesus quoted from the first part of this song (not included) when he announced the messianic kingdom had come (Luke 4:18-19). In these verses, the prophet sees the New Jerusalem coming forth as a light upon the world, bring salvation to the people and glory to God.
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Isaiah 61:10a-d and f, 11; 62:2-3
#15E BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Resurrection of the Lord, Easter 15)
#20O-I BVM Context (Holy Mary, the New Eve, Ordinary Time, 20)
R. O Mary, you are the city of God in whom justice dwells.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
R. O Mary, you are the city of God in whom justice dwells.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
R. O Mary, you are the city of God in whom justice dwells.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
R. O Mary, you are the city of God in whom justice dwells.
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Commentary on Is 61:10a-d and f, 11; 62:2-3
This selection provides the last verses of “glad tidings to the lowly,” one of the songs of those returning from exile. In these verses, the prophet sees the new Jerusalem coming forth as a light upon the world, bringing salvation to the people and glory to God.
Christ is identified as the vindication of Israel. Once the Lord has delivered his salvation, the land will be called the Lord’s delight. Finally, the image of the bridegroom and the bride are used as a common metaphor for the messiah and the people of God (see also Hosea 2:11-15).
CCC: Is 62 1611
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Isaiah 62:1-5
#13ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Nativity of the Lord-Vigil ABC)
#66C Sunday C Context (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
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Commentary on Is 62:1-5
Since the sixth century, Christian tradition has used this poem in the liturgy of Christmas Day. The birth of Jesus has brought about the joyful union of God and mankind in a way that surpasses that described in terms of spousal union. A monk of the Middle Ages made this beautiful comment: 'Like the bridegroom who comes out of his chamber the Lord came down from heaven to dwell on earth and to become one with the Church through his incarnation. The Church was gathered together from among the Gentiles, to whom he gave his dowry and his blessings -- his dowry, when God was made man; his blessings, when he was sacrificed for their salvation'" (Fausto de Riez, "Sermo 5 in Epiphania"). [23]
The restored “new Jerusalem” is formally called Zion. Isaiah, using poetic language, prophesies the coming of the Christ [messiah] with several references and images. Christ is identified as the vindication of Israel. Once the Lord has delivered his salvation, the land will be called the Lord’s delight. Finally, the image of the bridegroom and the bride are used as a common metaphor for the messiah and the people of God (see also Hosea 2:11-15).
CCC: Is 62 1611; Is 62:4-5 219
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Isaiah 62:11-12
#15ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Nativity of the Lord at Dawn ABC)
See, the LORD proclaims
to the ends of the earth:
say to daughter Zion,
your savior comes!
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
They shall be called the holy people,
the redeemed of the LORD,
and you shall be called “Frequented,”
a city that is not forsaken.
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Commentary on Is 62:11-12
This selection is the conclusion of a poem of joy over the salvation brought about through renewed faith in God and following his holy way. The new Jerusalem (daughter Zion), the kingdom of God rejoices in its salvation.
“Since the sixth century, Christian tradition has used this poem in the liturgy of Christmas day. The birth of Jesus has brought about the joyful union of God and mankind in a way that surpasses that described in terms of spousal union. A monk of the Middle Ages makes this beautiful comment: ‘Like the bridegroom who comes out of his chamber the Lord came down from heaven to dwell on earth and to become one with the Church through his incarnation. The Church was gathered together from among the Gentiles, to whom he gave his dowry and his blessings –his dowry, when God was made man; his blessings, when he was sacrificed for their salvation. ‘(Fausto de Riez, Sermo 5 in Epiphania).”[4]
CCC: s 62 1611
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Isaiah 63:7-9
#943 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 26. In Thanksgiving to God, Third Option)
The favors of the LORD I will recall,
the glorious deeds of the LORD,
Because of all he has done for us;
for he is good to the house of Israel,
He has favored us according to his mercy
and his great kindness.
The LORD said: They are indeed my people,
children who are not disloyal;
So he became their savior
in their every affliction.
It was not a messenger or an angel,
but he himself who saved them.
Because of his love and pity
he himself redeemed them,
Lifting them and carrying them
all the days of old.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 63:7-9
This passage begins a "Song of Entreaty," begging God for his mercy. The singer recalls the return to Jerusalem, which lies in ruins. The only hope of the people lies in God's saving hand. "God, however, seemed far away and his great redemptive acts buried in the past. The psalmist here identifies himself with the sinful people and pleads their cause before God."[15] The psalm continues, full of hope that God will lend a redemptive hand as he has always done through history.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
#2B Solemnities B Context (1st Sunday of Advent B)-
You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
This reading is part of what is called the “Psalm of Entreaty.” The Jewish people have returned from exile and find Jerusalem in ruins. Completely without resources, their only hope is in the Lord.
"Now at last the Lord comes as a conqueror and a Judge to dispense rewards and punishments. There are a number of oracles here to do with this theme, and they combine to create a long and beautiful apocalyptic poem. There are three stanzas in it: the first (63:1-6) describes the Lord's victory over the Edomites, the epitome of a nation hostile to Israel; the second (63:7-14) celebrates the mercy of God and all he has done for his people; the third (63:15-64:12) is an entreaty full of confidence in the Lord, our Father." [25]
We hear the psalmist in these verses identify himself with a sinful and fallen people who see the Lord’s redemptive acts in the distant past (“such as they had not heard of from of old “). Pleading their unworthiness, he calls upon God to come to them in their need, return to them, his creation (“we are the clay and you the potter”).
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Isaiah 65:17-21
#244 Weekday Years I & II Context (Monday of the 4th Week of Lent)
Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
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Commentary on Is 65:17-21
The Prophet Isaiah envisions the “new Jerusalem” with the return of the captives from exile. The beatific vision of the perfection brought forth by the return to God is later echoed as the vision of the eternal Kingdom of God. It is not by human ingenuity that this is accomplished but by the will of God.
"Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, 'new heavens and a new earth' (2 Peter 3:13; cf. Revelation 21:1). It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head 'all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth' (Ephesians 1:10). In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among men. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away' (Revelation 21:4)."[20]
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Isaiah 66:10-14
#40O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Providence)
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
Exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
That you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like
an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
The LORD'S power shall be known to his servants.
but to his enemies his wrath.
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Commentary on Is 66:10-14
Isaiah speaks metaphorically to those returning from exile. They hear of the creation (birth without pain) of God’s children in a New Jerusalem. He uses the image of a mother nursing her child as an image of God's loving care for the people he has called home. His oracle relates to a time of prosperity that comes about due to God’s love for those he has created. It is a calling home, a call to return to that place that gave them birth. It concludes with God's promise of support to the faithful but his enmity to those who oppose his people.
CCC: Is 66:13 239, 370
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Isaiah 66:10-14c
#102C Sundays C Context (14th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
#531 Proper of Saints Context (Our Lady of Lourdes, Feb 11)
#649 Proper of Saints Context (St.Thèrése of the Child Jesus, Oct 1)
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
Exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
That you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like
an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
The LORD'S power shall be known to his servants.
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Commentary on Is 66:10-14c
In this selection from what is known as Deutero-Isaiah (written after the Israelites returned following the Babylonian exile - 539 BC), Isaiah speaks metaphorically to those returning from exile. They hear of the creation (birth without pain) of God’s children in a new Jerusalem. He uses the image of a mother nursing her child as an image of God's loving care for the people he has called home. His oracle relates to a time of prosperity that comes about due to God’s love for those he has created. It is a calling home, a call to return to that place that gave them birth.
CCC: Is 66:13 239, 370
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Isaiah 66:18-21
#123C Solemnities C Context (21st Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
Thus says the Lord:
I know their works and their thoughts,
and I come to gather nations of every language;
they shall come and see my glory.
I will set a sign among them;
from them I will send fugitives to the nations:
to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan,
to the distant coastlands
that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory;
and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.
They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations
as an offering to the Lord,
on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries,
to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the Lord,
just as the Israelites bring their offering
to the house of the Lord in clean vessels.
Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord.
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Commentary on Is 66:18-21
This selection from Isaiah is a section of the conclusion of the book (the final five verses are a parallel hymn). It acts as a second bookend to the work with its complementary passage being Isaiah 2:2-4. Scholars are somewhat divided on the intent. Some see it as the historical call to the Jewish people, scattered to the ends of the earth in the Diaspora, the great Babylonian exile; while others view it as a clear prediction of the messiah, coming to call all peoples of all nations, literally from the ends of the earth. "Tarshish [Southern Spain (Ezekiel 27:12)], Put and Lud [In Africa (Genesis 10:6,13)], Mosoch, Tubal [near the Black Sea] and Javan [in the Ionian Islands (Ezekiel 27:13,19) generally indicating Greece]." Scholars are also divided about whether “Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord” foresees Gentiles functioning as priests.[16]
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* Note: in Year A, when Isaiah 2:1-5 is used on Sunday, Isaiah 4:2-6 is used as the1st Reading.
[1] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.60
[2] See NAB footnote on Isaiah 7: 10ff
[2.1] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 186
[3] See NAB footnote on Isaiah 45:8
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.267-68
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:54, p. 382
[6] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.© 1968, 22:49 p. 380
[7] Translation from the Jerusalem Bible
[8] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:49, p. 380
[9] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.223
[10] See NAB footnote on Isaiah 6: 1-3
[11] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 16:18, p. 270
[12] The Navarre Bible, Major Prophets, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 129
[13]From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1831 “The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
[14]The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 149
[15] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:63, p. 384
[16] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:70, p. 386
[17] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.73
[18] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 16:60, p. 280
[19] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 231
[20] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.279
[21] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:31-32, pp. 374-75
[22] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 261
[23] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 267-68
[24] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 16:21, p. 272
We hear the psalmist in these verses identify himself with a sinful and fallen people who see the Lord’s redemptive acts in the distant past (“such as they had not heard of from of old “). Pleading their unworthiness, he calls upon God to come to them in their need, return to them, his creation (“we are the clay and you the potter”).
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Isaiah 65:17-21
#244 Weekday Years I & II Context (Monday of the 4th Week of Lent)
Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
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Commentary on Is 65:17-21
The Prophet Isaiah envisions the “new Jerusalem” with the return of the captives from exile. The beatific vision of the perfection brought forth by the return to God is later echoed as the vision of the eternal Kingdom of God. It is not by human ingenuity that this is accomplished but by the will of God.
"Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, 'new heavens and a new earth' (2 Peter 3:13; cf. Revelation 21:1). It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head 'all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth' (Ephesians 1:10). In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among men. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away' (Revelation 21:4)."[20]
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Isaiah 66:10-14
#40O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Providence)
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
Exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
That you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like
an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
The LORD'S power shall be known to his servants.
but to his enemies his wrath.
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Commentary on Is 66:10-14
Isaiah speaks metaphorically to those returning from exile. They hear of the creation (birth without pain) of God’s children in a New Jerusalem. He uses the image of a mother nursing her child as an image of God's loving care for the people he has called home. His oracle relates to a time of prosperity that comes about due to God’s love for those he has created. It is a calling home, a call to return to that place that gave them birth. It concludes with God's promise of support to the faithful but his enmity to those who oppose his people.
CCC: Is 66:13 239, 370
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Isaiah 66:10-14c
#102C Sundays C Context (14th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
#531 Proper of Saints Context (Our Lady of Lourdes, Feb 11)
#649 Proper of Saints Context (St.Thèrése of the Child Jesus, Oct 1)
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
Exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
That you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like
an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
The LORD'S power shall be known to his servants.
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Commentary on Is 66:10-14c
In this selection from what is known as Deutero-Isaiah (written after the Israelites returned following the Babylonian exile - 539 BC), Isaiah speaks metaphorically to those returning from exile. They hear of the creation (birth without pain) of God’s children in a new Jerusalem. He uses the image of a mother nursing her child as an image of God's loving care for the people he has called home. His oracle relates to a time of prosperity that comes about due to God’s love for those he has created. It is a calling home, a call to return to that place that gave them birth.
CCC: Is 66:13 239, 370
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Isaiah 66:18-21
#123C Solemnities C Context (21st Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
Thus says the Lord:
I know their works and their thoughts,
and I come to gather nations of every language;
they shall come and see my glory.
I will set a sign among them;
from them I will send fugitives to the nations:
to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan,
to the distant coastlands
that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory;
and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.
They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations
as an offering to the Lord,
on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries,
to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the Lord,
just as the Israelites bring their offering
to the house of the Lord in clean vessels.
Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord.
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Commentary on Is 66:18-21
This selection from Isaiah is a section of the conclusion of the book (the final five verses are a parallel hymn). It acts as a second bookend to the work with its complementary passage being Isaiah 2:2-4. Scholars are somewhat divided on the intent. Some see it as the historical call to the Jewish people, scattered to the ends of the earth in the Diaspora, the great Babylonian exile; while others view it as a clear prediction of the messiah, coming to call all peoples of all nations, literally from the ends of the earth. "Tarshish [Southern Spain (Ezekiel 27:12)], Put and Lud [In Africa (Genesis 10:6,13)], Mosoch, Tubal [near the Black Sea] and Javan [in the Ionian Islands (Ezekiel 27:13,19) generally indicating Greece]." Scholars are also divided about whether “Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord” foresees Gentiles functioning as priests.[16]
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* Note: in Year A, when Isaiah 2:1-5 is used on Sunday, Isaiah 4:2-6 is used as the1st Reading.
[1] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.60
[2] See NAB footnote on Isaiah 7: 10ff
[2.1] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 186
[3] See NAB footnote on Isaiah 45:8
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.267-68
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:54, p. 382
[6] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.© 1968, 22:49 p. 380
[7] Translation from the Jerusalem Bible
[8] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:49, p. 380
[9] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.223
[10] See NAB footnote on Isaiah 6: 1-3
[11] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 16:18, p. 270
[12] The Navarre Bible, Major Prophets, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 129
[13]From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1831 “The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
[14]The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 149
[15] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:63, p. 384
[16] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:70, p. 386
[17] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.73
[18] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 16:60, p. 280
[19] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 231
[20] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.279
[21] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:31-32, pp. 374-75
[22] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 261
[23] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 267-68
[24] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 16:21, p. 272
[25] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 269-70
[26] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Isaiah, © 2019, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.65.
[27] The Jewish Study Bible, © 2004 Oxford University Press, New York, NY, p. 833
[28] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Isaiah, © 2019, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.65.
[29] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Isaiah, © 2019, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.72.
[30] Word
Biblical Commentary, Isaiah 34-66, Volume 25 © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. p. 583.
[31] John D. W. Watts, Isaiah 34–66, Revised Edition., vol. 25, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 2005), 821–822.
[32] John D. W. Watts, Isaiah 34–66, Revised Edition, vol. 25, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 2005), 845.
[33] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 193
[34] John D. W. Watts, Isaiah 34–66, Revised Edition, vol. 25, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 2005), 845.
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