Upcoming Sunday Old Testament Readings
Sunday 20 August 2017
Isaiah 56: 1, 6-8
Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant -- these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.
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A house of prayer for all people. As Christians, this is what the Church is called to be. Mindful of the fact that Christ has given himself for all, we fling wide the doors for all persons. We invite others to join us in prayer, confident that here we encounter the living God who gives us good gifts for life. Chief among them are the Word of God and the Sacraments of the New Covenant. But remember that it is not enough simply to open the doors of the Church and hope that all people will enter therein. Most will come only because they have been invited, because they have seen something in us that draws them to God. Are we giving such an invitation to the House of Prayer? Are we showing God to be present in the world for the sake of the world? Can we do these things? We might think we cannot. But here in this House of Prayer God gives us what we need that we might be able to accomplish the will of God and draw all persons to the House of Prayer and to God.
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Father Timothy Alleman
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