Daily Mass Gospel Reflection - The Icon of God

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 12.16.22 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT
John 5:33-36

Friends, in today’s Gospel,
Jesus says that his Father’s works testify to his identity.
Jesus’ words are the Father’s words,
and his deeds are the Father’s deeds.
His story is the Father’s story.

Nature speaks of God, the philosophers say true things about God,
the arts can reflect him,
the lives of the saints can indicate him—but Jesus is the Icon.

We sense in this passage, if I can put it this way,
the humility of the Logos.
Neither the words nor the deeds of Jesus are “his own.”
They are received from the Father.
The Trinitarian theological tradition respects this when it speaks of the Son as the interior word of the Father
and as having received everything from the Father.

[MurphsLaw]

First Reading
Isaiah 56:1-8

Thus says the LORD:
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.
Blessed is the man who does this,
the son of man who holds to it;
Who keeps the sabbath free from profanation,
and his hand from any evildoing.
Let not the foreigner say,
when he would join himself to the LORD,
“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”

The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him,
Loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants–
All who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
For my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord GOD,
who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
Others will I gather to him
besides those already gathered.


Gospel
Jn 5:33-36

+++ Jesus said to the Jews:
“You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept testimony from a human being,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
John was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John’s.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me.”+++