The Jesse Tree Series: The call to Holiness- Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

THE JESSE TREE SERIES:

What does Wednesday of the Third week of Advent entail for our Jesse Tree:

THE CALL TO HOLINESS.

SCRIPTURE: Is 1:10-20, 6:1-13, 8:11-9:7

THE PERSON: Isaiah

Isaiah was one of the four major prophets in the Old Testament. His prophecies include much about the coming Messiah. For this reason, his work is sometimes called 'the fifth Gospel.'  Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1), the kings of Judah. Uzziah reigned fifty-two years in the middle of the 8th century BC, and Isaiah must have begun his career a few years before Uzziah's death, probably in the 740s BC. He was married, and his wife was probably also a prophet; the interpretation of "prophetess" in Isaiah 8.3 as simply an honorary title, "Mrs. Prophet" as it were, is likely.^[7] They had two sons, naming one Jacob, meaning "A remnant shall return"^[8] and the younger, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, meaning, "Spoil quickly, plunder speedily."^[9] Isaiah lived till the fourteenth year of Hezekiah (who died 698 BC), and may have been contemporary for some years with Manasseh. Thus Isaiah may have prophesied for the long period of at least forty-four years.

THE EVENT/THEME: THE CALL TO HOLINESS:  During our reflection time today, let us ponder on the call to holiness in our lives.

We may wish to

1.            Offer a prayer to gain a deeper understanding of what a call to holiness means for our lives.

2.            Rediscover the gift of prayer and explore a different prayer style than what you use (eg meditation, Taize style prayer, contemplative prayer, sung prayer (office) 

3.            Make a practical commitment: As today's theme is the call to holiness, we may wish to:

o        explore the issues which hinder the call to holiness being answered fully. What practical steps can I take to eradicate these issues and difficulties.

o        Attend a daily Mass each day during advent ( or as many as is practical).

o        Make a spiritual plan for 2011-in what way do you wish to grow spiritually and how will you achieve this goal? Write a simple plan either a weekly plan or monthly plan- perhaps even discuss it with a priest or spiritual director.

SYMBOL 18:  THE SCROLL OF THE TORAH

 Let us remember the prophet Isaiah. He is called and anointed by the Lord to be his messenger.  He speaks for the Lord spreading his message in many situations.  Let us take opportunities to spread the Good News in our time and place.as we prepare our eighteenth symbol (seventeenth cut out symbol) and place it on the tree.