Since we are in the Christmas season and sometimes we get caught up with the tradition of "giving", I decided to post some information about a few things and hope you read and reflect on this information.
THE PROPHET ISAIAH
The Book of Isaiah is one of the longest books in the Old Testament.
Very little is known about Isaiah. The Bible says he was the son of Amoz. He lived for some 80 years, during the reigns of four kings (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah), and during a tumultuous time in Israel's history. Assyria had forced the collapse of the northern kingdom, and the army of the Assyrian ruler, Sennacherib, was camped outside the walls of Jerusalem. Isaiah himself became a victim of this violence, murdered by the son of Hezekiah, according to Jewish tradition.
In addition to giving political advice and issuing warnings to the kings whom he advised, the prophet also provided many messianic prophecies, speaking of the Messiah as a descendant of the royal line of David. (Isaiah is one of the four major Prophets, the others being Jeremiah, Ezekiel & Daniel. The name Isaiah means "God is salvation".
TRUST IN THE LORD FOREVER! FOR THE LORD IS AN ETERNAL ROCK. HE HUMBLES THOSE IN HIGH PLACES, AND THE LOFTY CITY HE BRINGS DOWN; HE TUMBLES IT TO THE GROUND, AND LEVELS IT WITH THE DUST. IT IS TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT BY THE NEEDY, BY THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE POOR.
WHAT IS A PROPHET?
To understand the biblical meaning of "prophet," one has to distinguish the biblical sense of prophecy from the popular notion that a prophet predicts the future. A person who claims to foretell future events is more properly described as an "oracle".
The word "prophet" comes from a Greek word that means "one who speaks on behalf of another." In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the "another" is God. Thus, prophets are those who speak on behalf of God. They have the gift of seeing things from God's perspective and their primary focus is on the present. Insofar as they talk about the consequences of the present course of action, they also look to the future.
It would be best to say: "Prophets forewarn; they don't foretell."
ANGELS
Angels are part of Jewish tradition & are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Christian tradition draws upon this, and angels are frequently mentioned in the New Testament as well.
Luke and Matthew give angels important roles in the story of the birth of Jesus. All four gospel writers include angels in the story of the resurrection.
The word "angel" means "messenger." Thus, angels are described by what they do. Little is known about who and what they are. The Catholic Catechism teaches the following about angels.
*They were created by God
*They were created before the creation of the world.
*They are less than God.
*They are "pure spirits" (they do not have bodies).
*The are immortal (they do not die).
*They have intelligence.
In affirming their existence, the Church affirms that there is a great deal more to reality than what is known (or even knowable) by human beings on this earth.
Belief in guardian angels did not take shape until the Fourth century. The Catholic Catechism simply quotes St. Basil, a theologian from that era, who wrote: "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd."
I would now like to take the time to express that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ and the celebration of that fact. A lot of times we get so wrapped up in the other meanings of Christmas that we forget all about this most important fact. I, like anyone else, like Christmas and give and receive gifts just like anyone else, but I try to keep in mind what Christmas really is all about.
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