1st Reading – Isaiah 35:4-7a

Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

The prophet Isaiah served in the Southern Kingdom of Judah around 740-700 BC, a period of Israelite history marked by political upheaval and existential threats to the nation. In 722 BC, the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire, which sent shockwaves through the Southern Kingdom of Judah, heightening fears of a similar fate.

Isaiah’s ministry spanned the reigns of four kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The Assyrian threat loomed large over Judah throughout this time until Jerusalem was miraculously delivered from the brink of destruction in 701 BC.

Today’s reading from Isaiah is a beautiful oracle of salvation in which God promises renewal and restoration. Continue reading “Sep 8, 2024: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)” →