First Reading:  Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11

The Greatness of God

In the generations that followed the return of the exiles from Babylon, Jerusalem was rebuilt and its Temple was rededicated. But, those events did not stop the many local people from returning to the ways of their sinful ancestors. Some people began to mix religious practices, offering YHWH sacrifice in the Temple, while practicing the private rites of foreign gods. The faithful reacted with horror, fearing God's wrath as before. What would happen next?

The words of the so-called "Third Isaiah" answered those concerns. "Our God is great! Greater than any other dreamt by man," third Isaiah seemed to say. "He could not be contained by a Temple or a city. Yet, because of our God, the city and its holy place will be a sign of his power. So take comfort in the city."

Our God is great. Greater than the signs and symbols we use to worship him. Yet, he uses these things to communicate his presence. Hence we should take comfort in them, but not use them to limit God.

What ritual, prayer, or sacrament gives you comfort? Can you see the power of God beyond those activities? How?