Isaiah 49:1-6
Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for the souls of those who have passed away this past year from persecution of their faith. May they know the joy of following Christ in giving their lives for Our Lord.
I met a 78 year old man a few weeks ago who lived in Somalia, where Christians are persecuted relentlessly. As I would listen to his stories of persecution, I thought to myself, "what a wonderful gift this man has received in His faith."
As we approach Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter, we have today's reading, which is the second of the "Servant of the Lord" oracles found in Isaiah (there are four). It brings to mind this 78 year old man from the other side of the world. I think of his faithfulness to Our Lord in the sight of persecution, and I see how much he trusts in The One whom the Lord sent. I see this man, and I know that Jesus did not give His life in vain. I see this man, and I see that I must not take Jesus' sacrifice in vain.
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." -Luke 10: 23-24
Take care and God Bless.
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