This blog follows the daily bible readings of the Catholic Church

Reading 1, Is 41:13-20

13 For I, The Lord your God, I grasp you by your right hand; I tell you, ‘Do not be afraid, I shall help you.’

14 Do not be afraid, Jacob, you worm! You little handful of Israel! I shall help you, declares the Lord; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15 Look, I am making you into a threshing-sledge, new, with double teeth; you will thresh and beat the mountains to dust and reduce the hills to straw.

16 You will winnow them and the wind will carry them off, the gale will scatter them; whereas you will rejoice in the Lord, will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 The oppressed and needy search for water, and there is none, their tongue is parched with thirst. I shall answer them, I, the God of Israel, shall not abandon them.

18 I shall open up rivers on barren heights and water-holes down in the ravines; I shall turn the desert into a lake and dry ground into springs of water.

19 I shall plant the desert with cedar trees, acacias, myrtles and olives; in the wastelands I shall put cypress trees, plane trees and box trees side by side; 20 so that people may see and know, so that they may all observe and understand that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Trees in the desert-an image of God's saving justice

God is with the little ones, his people. Tiny as they are in the eyes of the world, they will reduce the opposition to dust. As they struggle across the desert in a new exodus to their own land, God will open up watercourses and shady trees, so that the exiles may return to their land. God’s affectionate language recognises the weakness of his people, “worms, a little handful,” yet he holds their hand, he tells them not to be afraid. These words are only for the little ones of the world; they cannot be appropriated by those who identify with the big battalions of secular or religious power. These little ones who place their trust in the saving justice of God are of every nation and are invisible to powerful people. Their trust in God is often not rewarded with tangible signs of salvation, yet they persist in obstinate belief.

Gospel, Matthew 11:11-15

11 ‘In truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. 12 Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm. 13 Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; 14 and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. 15 Anyone who has ears should listen!

Christian communities in South America demand justice now

Jesus praises the desert prophet John the Baptist as the greatest of those who have preceded the “kingdom”, but states that the least in the “kingdom” is greater than he. The explanation is that now God’s rule is happening on earth and is no longer merely hoped for. Jesus’ words about the violent people may be a criticism of zealots and other guerrilla groups. But it’s possible that his words refer to the “violent” joy and haste of those who are responding to his ministry. I prefer that interpretation. In any case we are left with a contrast between the delight of Jesus in the present efficacy of God’s rule on earth and the tired timidity of some of his disciples today. My own discipleship always needs to be challenged by Jesus’ readiness to test the limits of the possible, and by the “impossibility” of his resurrection.