Today we read an oracle from the Prophet Isaiah that is probably familiar to all of us. As a matter of fact, the Christmas card industry has made this oracle an icon of the Christmas Season. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall graze, together their young shall lie down; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the viper's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. . . (Isaiah 11:6-8).
One of the most pervasive themes of the Gospels is the reversal theme. This oracle from the Hebrew Scriptures is a classic example of that theme as it prepares us for the Day of the Lord. The natural enmities of which we are all acquainted come to an end in this prophecy.
We often speak of the second coming of Christ to take place at the end of the world. Some apocalyptic literature seems to indicate that the universe as we know it will be destroyed, something of a reversal of the "big bang" theory. Franciscan philosophers and theologians such as St. Bonaventure of Bagnoreggio and Bl. John Duns Scotus argue that Christ's redemptive victory over death will extend to the world of nature and that our world will also be redeemed. Thus natural disasters as we know them now – flood, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake, fire and wind storms – will all cease to exist. Not only will God's faithful people live forever, but so also shall the created universe. This oracle from Isaiah seems to point in that very direction.
During his recent trip to Africa, the Holy Father dwelled upon the effects of war and enmity upon all of us, but especially the poor. At the same time, we witnessed yet another shooting spree, this time in Colorado, at a mall and a Planned Parenthood Clinic. Peace is elusive in our world. It is just as elusive in nature. I have a bird feeder just outside my office window and enjoy watching the birds as they come for their daily feast. However, I cannot help but notice that they fight for a place at the table. Just as they fight for a chance to feed upon the seeds, human beings fight over possessions and power and superiority over others. Today's reading from Isaiah points us in a different direction. This idyllic picture reminds us of what God has in store for those who live in peace.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator