Thursday, February 26 : Isaac of Stella
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” the Lord declared. Put briefly (…): he has been sent to the one to whom he has been promised. As it is said: “The promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant” (Gal 3:16). The promise made in time was fulfilled in its time, for the Jews from among the Jews, as it is written: “Salvation comes from the Jews” (Jn 4:22). It was to them that Christ, who was born from them according to the flesh, was sent at the end of time. It was to them that he, who was predestined before time began, was promised at the beginning of time. Predestined for both Jews and Gentiles but born from Jews alone, without intermediary according to the flesh, he was made known at his birth in the flesh to those to whom he had been promised (…) But the name “Israel” means “the man who sees God”. With good reason, then, does it apply to every rational spirit. From this we can understand that “the house of Israel” also includes the angels, those spirits predestined for the vision of God (…) While these ninety-nine sheep (…) on the mountain of their shepherd’s vision and delight – that is to say of the Word of God – are walking at large and lying down to rest in green and verdant pastures (Ps 23[22]:2), the Good Shepherd descends from the Father’s side when the “time of pity” (Ps 102[101]:14) has come. He has been sent mercifully in time (…) who was promised from all eternity; he has come to seek for the one sheep that was lost (Lk 15:4f.) (…) The good shepherd, therefore, was sent to mend what was broken and to strengthen the weak (cf. Ez 34:16). What was broken and weak was man’s free will. In times past, when he wanted to rise above himself, he fell and, lacking the strength to support himself, was crushed down and broken (…), completely unable to rise again. But mended and comforted at last by Christ himself (…), – although not entirely lively so long as he had not been set down in the green pastures with the ninety-nine others – he was carried in his shepherd’s arms, as it is written: “Carrying the lambs in his bosom and leading the ewes with care” (Is 40:11).
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
