December 14, 2020

St. John of the Cross

NM 24:2-7, 15-17a Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him, and he uttered his oracle, saying: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, but with eyes uncovered: how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like palm groves that stretch far away, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall have abundant water, his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. So he uttered his oracle, saying: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, but with his eyes uncovered: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near— a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the borderlands* of Moab, and the territory* of all the Shethites. New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Seeing anew this Advent

Expectation and being open to seeing anew are consistent themes throughout Advent. However, we may have a veil over our eyes to God’s new messages and actions since we know how the story ends with the coming of Jesus and our comfortable yearly traditions and celebrations at home and in churches. In the readings today, we witness how expectations and seeing can work in both positive and negative ways. Balaam has no expectations and is open to receive God’s vision. The chief priests in the Gospel (Mt 21: 23-27) have set expectations and are closed off to God’s new actions in the world. It is a good time to examine our expectations for this season in order to make sure we are not wearing veils that cloud our vision of what God is doing right now. Surely this year will look and feel different than anything we have experienced before. Are you open to seeing anew?

—Jodie Scordo is the Campus Minister and Coordinator of Student Life at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee.

 

Prayer

God, help us to be open to your messages and desires for us this season. By your grace, may our eyes and hearts be opened to receive you anew. Amen.

—Jodie Scordo

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