Mid-Night Mass, Year B
Theme: What Is God Telling Us 天主對我們說甚麼？
Isaiah saw the laying waste of the land and the burning of cities (Isaiah 1:7) because Israel made herself an enemy of God (1:21-24). There is no ambiguity at all where the responsibility lies. God wants righteousness but powerful people manipulate the legal system to fatten themselves. God shall not give His people up. He pledges to purify and deliver Sion (1:25-28). A day will come when nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again” (2:4)! Christians trust in God’s pledge and the promise of a world without conflicts keeps their hope burning. Moreover, people would invest wisely, diverting their military budget to economic growth! Such allocation of funds is an obviously prudent policy. However, military observers estimate that the superpowers have sufficient nuclear arsenals to blow up the planet for at least seven times. Military industries are making big fat money here. There is little incentive for them not to accumulate more wealth! Not only does greed fuel those industries, but pride and arrogance also fan the flame of military conflicts. The day mentioned in Isaiah 2 seems to be forever remote out of reach. The consequence is crystal clear, “Your men will fall by the sword, and your champions, in war; Her gates will lament and mourn, as the city sits desolate on the ground” (3:25-26).
The tone of the first reading is joyful. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone” (Isaiah 9:1). In the ears of the conquered and exiled, the light would be a beam of hope. Further down, the prophet continues, “For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, the rod of their taskmaster, You have smashed, as on the day of Midian” (9:3). It was to be a hope of freedom which the Lord fought for them! Bearing in mind the military vocabulary Isaiah uses, the happiness of the liberated is compared to the exultation in dividing the spoils (9:2c). The victory is certain because “For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for fire” (9:4). Once more, the image of turning military expenditure (boots and cloaks) into economic growth (fuel) appears. However, the battle would be bloody and brutal because every soldier in action would fall except for the side which leaves everything in God’s hand. The side which surrender to the will of God and let Him fight the battle would become the victor!
How would God fight this battle? In the day of Midian mentioned above, it is the battle God helped Gidean defeat 135,000 Midians with 300 soldiers (Judges 7:8; 8:10). But this time, God would only sent a child! Isaiah says, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counsellor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace” (9:5). George Handel has popularized this verse in his famous MESSIAH oratorio of 1741. Different people would draw different inspiration from listening to it. It would be futile to expound further. Just let it sink into our psyche and adore the Holy Infant in the crib, this year in a backdrop of Gaza rubble.
Beloved brethren! It is unwise of me to disturb your meditation. Let us beseech the Prince of Peace to grant us peace. Amen!
Picture Credit: artandtheology.org
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