Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. Ambrose

“Saint Ambrose” by Matthias Stom, c. 1630s

Readings for Saturday of the First Week of Advent[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26

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 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.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Praise the LORD, for he is good;

sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;

it is fitting to praise him.

The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;

the dispersed of Israel he gathers.

R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

He tells the number of the stars;

he calls each by name.

R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Great is our LORD and mighty in power:

to his wisdom there is no limit.

The LORD sustains the lowly;

the wicked he casts to the ground.

R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

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Commentary on Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

This hymn of praise anticipates the coming of the Messiah who restores what is lost and, again, gives hope to the poor, upon whom he lavishes special blessings; "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

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Gospel: Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,

teaching in their synagogues,

proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,

and curing every disease and illness.

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them

because they were troubled and abandoned,

like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples,

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples

and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out

and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,

“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Cure the sick, raise the dead,

cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

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Commentary on Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8

This selection emphasizes Jesus early struggle to accomplish what he came to do by himself. We sense his human nature as he says; "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;" Christ has the sense that the disciples are ready to take a more active role in proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He asks them to pray for God’s spirit and strength (“…so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.").

At the beginning of Chapter 10, St. Matthew names the twelve and calls the disciples “Apostles”, which means “one who is sent” (the only time in St. Matthew’s Gospel this term is used). They are then sent, but only to the “chosen people”. It is not until after Christ’s death and resurrection that the Gospel is brought to the Gentiles.

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Reflection:

There is an interesting paradox presented in scripture today.  The reading from the Prophet Isaiah describes God’s infinite patience and mercy.  He calls the faithful and gives them the fruits of his creation to give them ease.  Isaiah depicts a time of idyllic peace.  The image of the New Jerusalem is seen as a place where all of God’s blessings come together.

Contemplating those verses one might almost think of the final scene from the movie Forrest Gump where the main character, the mentally challenged Forrest sees his young son off to school telling him he will be waiting for his return.  He then sits down to patiently do just that.  The implication is that he will sit in that spot until his son returns at the end of the day.

Psalm 147 does nothing to dispel the notion of patient waiting; basking in God’s mercy.  Rather it supports Isaiah’s understanding that our Heavenly Father has intense love for those who suffer.  It is they who most urgently hope for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Next we are given St. Matthew’s Gospel in which the Lord charges his disciples to go out into the world to proclaim that “the Kingdom of God is at hand.”  There is no sense of patient waiting but rather a feeling of the need for intense preparation.

The answer to the paradox is explained, of course, by looking at the genre of the scripture.  Isaiah the great prophet is seeing the Kingdom of God that is to come.  He envisions the great and merciful God who loves his people, providing all good things for them.  Jesus, although having all the gifts of prophecy, is an active force, preparing the people for that Kingdom which is at hand.

Using the analogy of the farmer, he sees that the seeds sown by the prophets and fed by the Law are ready for harvest, ready to be shown their final destination, and so he sends his friends out into that field to collect the harvest, something he would need much more time to do alone.

Now we step back and look around ourselves.  We are preparing for his return as well as the celebration of the Lord’s Nativity.  Are we to withdraw from the world and sit patiently waiting for the Kingdom that will come, like Forrest Gump; or are we to go into the world to assist with the harvest?  The Lord’s will seems clear in this instance.  He calls us, like his disciples, to be active in the world and to assist with his harvest, proclaiming the coming Kingdom by word and example.  The great feast will come later.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “Saint Ambrose” by Matthias Stom, c. 1630s

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.