This is the Liturgy of the Hours for December 31. Your local date is .
“The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting,” (Isaiah 50:5-6).[1]
This ‘Servant Song’ from Isaiah anticipates the suffering of the Chosen One. We see a Servant who is beaten and insulted. However, despite the darkness, the Servant remains steadfast. This poem prepares us for the upcoming Passion and reminds us that despite suffering, God is always at our side. [2]
Written by Sarah Ciotti
Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD
[1] New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), 119-125.