Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day

On this Labor Day weekend, let us take a welcome rest from our labors—be they in a factory or field, store or office, school or home—and appreciate the time we take with the One who promised that his yoke was easy and his burden light. Today, let us pray especially for those whose own burden is difficult: those who need to work more than one job to support their families, those who do not receive the gratitude and compensation they deserve for their work, and those who are unemployed or underemployed.
 

Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word

Our God is a transformative God, bringing life to the wasteland and giving hope to people who appeared to be abandoned. Isaiah, the prophet and poet, spoke to a society that equated deficiency with sinfulness, prophesying that God would transform the deaf, the blind, the disabled, and the mute. Jesus does just that in the Gospel. In between, James calls us to change the way we judge strangers we encounter. Listening to today’s readings, note the transformations we witness.
 

Reflection

• Like an angel in the Gospels, whose first words are invariably, “Do not be afraid,” Isaiah begins this passage with the simple words “Fear not!” to all “whose hearts are frightened” (Isaiah 35:4). These are not just idle words. Though this chapter of Isaiah may have been written later than the passages around it, it was placed here in the midst of Israel’s fall and Judah’s capitulation to Assyria. The people of Judah sorely needed words of hope. Often so do we. Amidst the tumult of current events, it is comforting to hear that the LORD’s first message is, “Be strong, fear not!” How much sweeter the words of God’s saving power sound once we’ve been brought back from the edge.

• It is human nature to make judgments about others, though we normally call it keen perception or common sense. It can happen in many ways; a person with “gold rings and fine clothes” (James 2:2) could just as easily be labeled as haughty or selfish. Whether it’s the rich, well-dressed stranger or the poor, shabby one, we may shun both, preferring to keep to our own kind. But once we start down the road of discriminating between acceptable and unacceptable people, it’s a short distance to judging people by their background, class, ethnicity, or just their perceived distance from “people like us.” Jesus accepted all people and set a model for his disciples, then and now.

• It is noteworthy that the first words the man in the Gospel hears, presumably in his entire life, were the words of Jesus. His ears have been opened to hear God’s word and his tongue has been loosened to proclaim God’s grace. The Ephphetha rite in the sacrament of baptism recalls this event. By virtue of our baptism we are all this man, touched by God’s grace, made ready to speak God’s word to the world.
 

Question of the Week

Am I open to hearing God’s word, even from unexpected sources? How do I live out my baptismal call to proclaim God’s word?