Day 223: Responding Well

Isaiah 66:1-6 This prophecy repeats the need of the right interior disposition of worship and sacrifices; it is the humble and contrite spirit that must inspire all external worship and sacrificial ritual. (CCC 1450-1453)


Ch 66:7-14 Zion is likened to the New Eve, the Church, that gives birth to many people who join the Family of God. Mary is a type of the Church (TYPOLOGY!!) and also called the New Eve since, through her faith and obedience, the Son of God made man entered into the world to redeem all people from sin. The Church herself is presented in motherly terms; hence, her traditional name is Holy Mother Church. (CCC 239, 370)


Ezekiel 25:1-17 The second half of this book begins with a series of prophecies pertaining to seven pagan nations. The number seven, representing completeness, is symbolic rather than exhaustive. Babylon was not counted among the seven possibly because it was used as an instrument of God’s Will to chastise the Jews. The point of these prophecies was to emphasize God’s sovereignty over all nations.


Ch 26-27 Tyre was an important port city, a key to the expansion of international trade. With a mixture of celebration and a tinge of regret over the loss of this proud center of commerce, Ezekiel announced its doom. 

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)




Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise and we thank you so much. Gosh, Lord. Thank you for journeying with us. Lord, I know that the Book of the Prophet Isaiah can be so intimidating. The books of any of the major prophets can be so intimidating. Here we are in the middle of Ezekiel. Here we are concluding Isaiah. And yet you walked with us and held our hands as we just sought to understand what it was that you were speaking to the People of Jerusalem, the People of Israel at the time, and what you are speaking to us today. Lord God, as often as your Word is confusing, and as often as your Word we only understand it as through a veil darkly, we ask that you please continue to illuminate our minds. And above all, even when our minds are darkened, inflame our hearts with a love for you that we can have the appropriate approach to you, the appropriate attitude toward you, the appropriate response to you. We ask that you match our emotions up with reality around us. That we only feel fear when there is something to fear. That we feel joy when there is something to be joyful at. When we mourn those things we are called upon to mourn. We grieve when we are called upon to grieve. And we rejoice when we are called upon to rejoice. Lord God, knit us back together. Make us whole again. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”