Jesus: Our Savior, the Anointed One, the Face of God

In today’s first reading, Isaiah 42: 1-7, we are reminded that The Lord has called Jesus, His “servant,” His “chosen one with whom” He is “pleased,” and upon whom He has put His “Spirit,” Jesus will “bring forth justice to the nations.” He will not be “crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.”   Jesus shows us the face of our God—a God of compassion, a God of patience, a God of mercy, a God of justice. 

In today’s responsorial psalm, Psalm 27, the psalmist proclaims:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?

 The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?

When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh,

 my foes and my enemies themselves stumble and fall.

 Though an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear;

 though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust.

 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living.

 Wait for the Lord with courage;

 be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

A couple of questions with which we might grapple:

1.       What is my belief? Do I in fact believe that “I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living? If that is not be belief, in what do I believe?

2.       For what am I waiting? Am I waiting for the Lord with courage?” Or have I placed my hope on God-substitutes—wealth, materials things, acquisition of personal ambitions, personal power, worldly accolades?  For whom, for what do I seek?

3.       In whom, in what do I seek refuge?

4.       What are my fears?