December 11, 2015 - Friday

Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I am the LORD, your God,
teaching you how to prevail,
leading you on the way you should go.
If only you would attend to my commandments,
your peace would be like a river,
your vindication like the waves of the sea. (Isaiah 48:17-18 NABRE)

Vindication simply means to be proven right. We are urged to "attend" the commandments of God. In the New Testament, we see Jesus use the word wisdom and we might equate that with Isaiah's use of the word commandments by the shared reference to vindication.

In particular, in Matthew's gospel, Jesus concludes a parable about those who reject him by saying, "But wisdom is vindicated by her works." (Matthew 11:19c) In Luke's version of the parable, Jesus says, "wisdom is vindicated by all her children." (Luke 7:35) There is some unity in all of these statements which points us toward God's expectation for our lives.

The particulars of God's wisdom are expressed in his commandments. Jesus along with John the Baptist and others who follow the commandments are Wisdom's children, and will be proven right in the eyes of the world at the appointed time.


Today, I will wait with joy for the time when the children of Wisdom are vindicated.


Saint Damasus I, fourth-century pope who makes us aware of two qualities of good leadership: alertness to the promptings of the Spirit and service, pray for us.