Gentiles

In preparing for Sunday's Readings, (Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72: 1-13, Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6, and Matthew 2: 1-12).  I did a little Lectio Divina, using To Praise, To Bless, To Preach, Cycle A, by Peter John Cameron, O.P..

There are a lot of connections among all the readings.  The Gospel is the one about the Magi; after all this Sunday is the Epiphany.  The Psalm is about bring gifts and everyone coming to adore God.  The first reading from Isaiah is the prophecy about the Magi bringing gifts.  Finally, is my reading.  The one I have to proclaim, Ephesians.  Paul is trying to get the gentiles to go to God.  Like the Magi bringing gifts to adore God, Paul brings the gentiles to go adore God.  The Magi are gentiles.  Paul explains that they too, like the Jews, "are coheirs, members of the same body and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel."

Isaiah 42: 7

This morning we are celebrating the Baptism of the Lord. In this morning's Office of Readings, the First Reading from Isaiah 49: 7 resonated with me. I am thinking specifically of:

I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
to bring our prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

I feel that Our Lord is speaking directly to my "cloistered brothers." They have been redeemed, too. But in this world, they will always be condemned. Only in heaven will there by true justice. The Lord has called for the victory of justice.