Click here for today’s Scripture readings.
Is 6:1-8
Mt 10:24-33
Introduction: Motivational speakers encourage business effectiveness for sales people, project designers, managers, etc. with slogans like “Keep your goal in focus!” or “Know the tools of your trade!” I find today’s Scripture Readings offering similar axioms to anyone trying to maintain a Christian dimension to the workplace, to our relationships and to our lives in general. Isaiah’s Seraphs call us to “Have the correct attitude” and Matthew’s Jesus urges us to “Remember the promise.”
- Isaiah brings us into the intimacy of his deeply personal and mystic “swearing in” ceremony as God’s special prophet. He relates the experience with all its rich, if somewhat elusive, imagery. With this mystical dream or vision God brings Isaiah on board as one of God’s important “Go-to Guys.”
- There are several images in Isaiah’s vision that tell us something of God and of God’s messenger. To focus on just one, the Seraphim: we don’t learn how seraphs but we do find out that each one has six wings. I suggest that these seraphim and their wings can evoke for us: Have the correct attitude for a disciple called to mission: “with two wings they veiled their eyes, with two they veiled their feet and with two they hovered aloft.”
- Might we not see in the veiled face a traditional image of reverence in the presence of God; in the veiled feet, an image of modesty, i.e. covering one’s exposed extremities; and the two wings hovering aloft, an image of readiness for service. I suggest we identify these images as representing the correct attitude for the disciple desiring service, or mission, for God?
- Each disciple must begin with reverence for the presence of God—actually before, during and after any word, work or effort done in God’s name. Every disciple needs to proceed modestly in trying to serve God’s mission. Maybe another way to speak of a disciple’s modesty would be to say simply that the true disciple knows that “it is not about ME!” Finally, every authentic disciple wants to be ready for service, alert to the inspirations and elbow nudges from the Holy Spirit. Wings hovering aloft, a great image for awaiting the breezes of the Holy Spirit. This is the correct attitude of any true disciple of God: reverence, modesty, attentive and ready.
- Matthew’s Jesus today urges the disciple in mission to “Remember the promise!” In fact Matthew has Jesus repeat the promise three times: “Do not fear them!” “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul!” and “Do not fear; you are worth more than many sparrows, not one of whom falls to the ground without your Father!”
- For effectiveness as disciples of Christ let us take to heart the slogans collected today for us by Isaiah: “Have the correct attitude:” reverence for God’s presence, modestly aware that it’s not about me; and readiness to catch the wind of the Spirit’s inspirations. Also from Matthew’s Jesus: “Remember the promise:” no need to fear, you are worth more than a flock of sparrows.
Fr. Lucian Clark, C.P. is a member of the Passionist community in Union City, NJ and is the Director of Passionist Volunteers International.
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Fr. Lucian’s reflection does offer us much to think about in regard to discipleship and especially Passionist vocation – a blend of reverent attention to God in deep prayer, an attitude of community-mindedness in that I am part of a group (not like Lebron James center of the world style), and the readiness to service wherever “wings” may take me to the needs of other – sometimes just a walk down the street, or a hospital corridor.