Daily Reflection: Friday, December 3
December 3. Memorial of St. Francis Xavier
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction. (Is 29:24)
These words from the first reading of today’s mass are part of a description of how God will make Jerusalem a wonderful place when the exiles come home. It is a beautiful metaphor of life lived in God’s blessing.
With admitted irreverence I would paraphrase this sentence this way: The arrogant will be shut down and the nitpickers will be shut up. It’s not for me to point a finger, though. To be part of that wonderful Jerusalem, first I have to seek understanding and accept instruction. Isaiah tells us to calm down and widen our perspective, mostly by making God’s perspective our own.
John Frambes, ofm