Fear Not 220

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Beloved brethren assembled in the faith of the apostles, let us incline our ears to the voice of the prophet Isaiah, who proclaims in the twenty-fifth chapter, '...we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.' These words arise amid the ruins of earthly powers, after the Lord has judged the lofty city and prepared a feast of rich foods upon His holy mountain for all nations. In the historical setting of Judah's trials and the looming shadow of exile, Isaiah lifts his eyes beyond temporal deliverance to the day when the veil of sorrow is removed and death itself is swallowed up forever. The people who once walked in darkness now behold their God, the very One for whom the patriarchs waited in patient hope. The great luminaries of the Early Church, Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome among them, unfold this mystery with apostolic clarity. Augustine teaches that true gladness springs not from passing victories but from the salvation accomplished by Christ, who has made us citizens of the heavenly city. Jerome, in his commentaries, reminds us that this rejoicing fulfills the ancient longing of Israel, now extended to the Gentiles through the cross. Drawing from the patristic treasury preserved in the Catena, we see how the Fathers connect this banquet to the Eucharistic feast and the ultimate triumph over the grave. The martyrs of the first centuries heard these words as they faced the lions, their hearts already tasting the joy of the redeemed. Let us therefore cast aside every earthly anxiety and rejoice in Him who has saved us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him. #FearNot220 #FearNotUNPLUGGED #206of220 #Catholic