Dec 7: The Word of God: Our One True Hope

Vincent Van Gogh: Clumps of Grass

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church
Reading I: Is 40:1-11

“The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever (NRSV, Is 40:8).”

Father, everything that we experience in the physical word changes. Even among living things, there is inevitably the decline and death that follow upon birth and growth to maturity. Nothing that we grasp by the senses seems to have any real stability.

It is finally, Lord, by turning inward upon ourselves, there at the depth of our being, that we find the anchor for our lives which is your Word spoken from all eternity. It is there in your Word, and only there, that our true hope is founded.

Father, it is by your Word that you have created everything that has been made. It is the same Word that you speak in eternity that we hear in time. Because we live in the here and now, in the world that is finite, Lord, we must listen carefully to what you speak. Because of our finitude we hear only in part, always from a point of view, always the truth that you speak, yes, but nevertheless limited by our situation in history, by our own sinfulness and the common sinfulness of humanity, that which we know as the sin of the world.

And still, your Word, even grasped only in part, is our final hope for meaning in this world.

To aid us, as we ourselves listen and ponder, we seek out the assistance of the prophets for they are the most sensitive among us and hear the best. They are always a challenge for the rest of us.

Of course, it is in the Lord Jesus Christ that we find your spoken Word incarnate among us. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus embodies everything that you are, Lord, and everything that you would have us do. He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. And so, with your Spirit to enlighten us, we also struggle principally and relentlessly to learn from Jesus, especially by reflecting on the gospels, the Church’s written statements of faith in him, and the other writings of the Christian scripture which describe the effect that the risen Christ had upon the early Church.

We listen also to the cumulative understanding of believers, the whole Church, in all of its manifestations. We listen to the church’s saints, its teachers and its bishops, especially the patriarchs of the East and the West, and, in particular, the successor of Peter, the bishop of Rome.

Nor do we ignore the thoughts and writings of the other great religions of world because all of them are ultimately expressions of the same one truth spoken constantly to every human being. We listen especially to Jews and Moslems who, with Christians, claim spiritual descent from Abraham. We also look to the great religions of the East. Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tze, among many others, are all brothers to us.

We pay close attention as well to philosophers, scientists, and men and woman of letters who have much to say about your Word, often in spite of themselves and without realizing the source of their wisdom.

And lastly we listen to all of our sisters and brothers to whom, Lord, you speak your same one Word. All have a contribution to make, frequently from the one least expected. That is often the way, Lord, in which your Holy Spirit has his effect.

But our inquiry and reflection is for naught, Lord, if we do not turn inward with it all, to lay it at the altar of your one spoken yet uncreated Word.

Father, in this world where change dominates all things, where the grass withers, the flowers fade and even the people often appear like grass, may we ever be responsive to your invitation to turn inward, bringing with us our conversation with all of creation. There, enlightened by the wisdom of the ages, may we encounter your one Word that stands forever. Help us, Lord, step by step, to grow in our understanding of that one Word and learn to be responsive to his wisdom and grace. That unchanging Word that you speak, who created us and all things, is our only way to you.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.