ISAIAH 40:1-5, 9-11
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God …
A voice cries out: In the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord…
let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low…
Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings…
say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
From chapter 40 to chapter 56, the prophecy we call Isaiah is known as “Deutero-Isaiah” or the “Book of Consolation,” likely the work of a prophet from the 6th century BC, during the Babylonian exile. It retains great literary beauty, but is also more advanced theologically: its monotheism is more defined and shows a more universal religiosity. The work is conceived as a second Exodus, announcing the return to the land, through the desert, as a song of hope and consolation for the exiles. The three Synoptic Gospels use its words as an introduction to the Baptist, presenting him as the fulfillment of this prophecy.
TITUS 2:11-14 and 3:4-7
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ….
The letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus are often called the “Pastoral Epistles” because their content is less theological and focuses more on the care of the communities. They were probably written by a disciple of Paul, although attributed to him. Titus was of pagan origin, a close collaborator of Paul, his delegate in Corinth, and governed the Church of Cyprus. Today’s passage bases the Christian life on faith in Jesus, the appearance of the grace of God, and an invitation to a new life.
José Enrique Galarreta, S.J.