I bless you Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth

Ish 10:5-7.13-16, Mt. 11:25-27. In today’s first reading, Isaiah regards Assyria as a rod of God’s anger, to punish, correct and restore Israel to just and moral living. Yet when Assyria boasts: “By my own power I have done it” and interferes with God’s plans, this “rod” will be discarded. Isaiah asks: “Will the axe boast against one who chops with it? Could a rod wield the one who lifts it?” The lesson is to remain humble and open to God’s direction. Then we can achieve creative and life-giving results, such as those accomplished by Moses, Isaiah and Jesus.

The prayer of Jesus as described by the author of today’s Gospel is one of praise, beginning: “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Jesus praises God for the mysterious ways that God works, ways that seem paradoxical to human observation. Jesus blesses God for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. It is not the religious experts, the teachers of the Jewish Law, who are coming to know God as revealed by Jesus. Rather, it is those who would have been considered religiously and theologically illiterate who through His ministry are coming to know God. Those who claim to know already are closed to learning about God from Jesus; those who are aware of how little they know are open to receiving the revelation of God that Jesus brings. The Gospel reminds us that it is those who are aware of their own need, their own poverty before God, who will be open to whatever God wants to communicate to us through His Son.

May the Lord, our loving God continue to be with us and keep us humble to be open to God’s direction! Amen!! Have a terrific day!!!