Texts: Isa 19:20-22; Isa 35:1-7; Isa 40:9-11; Isa 45:1-8; Dan 3:47-51; 2 Thess 2:1-8; Luke 3:1-6
Theme: The Coming of the Lord in Judgment and Mercy
The Saturday of the Ember Week in Advent stands as a solemn vigil—rich with scriptural readings, heavy with prophetic longing, and luminous with hope. The Ember Days serve as moments of seasonal penance and supplication, consecrating time and labor to God, and especially in Advent, they dispose us to await the coming of Christ with purified hearts. The traditional liturgy gives us a deep mosaic of prophecy, symbol, and fulfillment in today’s lections.
Let us trace the pattern across these readings: from the trembling of Egypt and the deserts breaking forth with water, to the voice of one crying in the wilderness. The thread is this: God is coming. He comes to judge. He comes to heal. He comes to save.
Isaiah 19:20–22 – “They shall cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour…”
This oracle concerning Egypt reveals the universal scope of God’s salvation. Egypt—historically an enemy of Israel—is depicted not in judgment alone, but in conversion. “The Lord shall be known to Egypt… they shall return to the Lord” (v. 21). St. Cyril of Alexandria, commenting on this passage, marvels at the mercy of God who extends salvation beyond the borders of Israel: “He who chastens also heals. He strikes, and his stripes are remedies, for by bringing fear, He draws them to piety.” (Glaphyra in Pentateuchum)
Here, Isaiah prefigures the gathering of the Gentiles into the Church—fulfilled in Christ, who sends His apostles to all nations. Advent is not only the remembrance of the Incarnation but also the anticipation of the Second Coming, when “every knee shall bow” (Isa 45:23).
Isaiah 35:1–7 – “The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the lily…”
In a striking reversal, the wilderness is transformed into a garden. Water springs forth where there was drought. The blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap. This passage is Messianic to its core, cited by Our Lord Himself when He sends word to St. John the Baptist in prison: “Go and tell John… the blind see, the lame walk…” (Matt 11:5).
St. Jerome writes: “The blossoming desert is the soul once dry from sin, but now visited by grace. The fountain is Christ, and the blossoming is the fruits of the Spirit.” (Commentarii in Isaiam)
This is the joy of Advent: not mere sentimental warmth, but the true flourishing of the soul under the dew of divine grace. The desert of human nature is made fertile by the coming of Christ.
Isaiah 40:9–11 – “Behold your God!”
The herald climbs the mountain to proclaim salvation. “Behold, the Lord God will come with might… He shall feed His flock like a shepherd.” The paradox of divine majesty and tender mercy appears in full here. The mighty Judge is also the gentle Shepherd.
St. Gregory the Great, in his homily on this passage, writes: “He comes in strength, for He conquers the powers of darkness; He comes in gentleness, for He embraces the sinner.” (Hom. in Evang. 1,15)
During Ember Week, we fast and pray, not because God is reluctant to come, but because we are slow to welcome Him rightly. This reading calls us to ascent—“Go up to a high mountain!”—the ascent of the interior life, the lifting of the heart to greet the King.
Isaiah 45:1–8 – “Drop down dew, ye heavens…”
This text, culminating in the verse “Rorate caeli desuper”, becomes the anthem of Advent. The dew is Christ; the clouds are the Virgin; the earth is the world longing to be softened by grace.
Origen interprets this passage mystically: “The heavens drop dew when the divine Word descends. The earth opens when the hearts of men receive Him.” (Homilies on Isaiah)
We sing Rorate caeli with longing—longing not only for the birth of Christ at Bethlehem, but for His coming into our hearts and into the world again. “Let justice spring up” (Isa 45:8)—a prophecy of the just One who springs forth from the womb of the Virgin.
Daniel 3:47–51 – “The angel of the Lord went down with Azariah and his companions…”
Here, the Old Testament foreshadowing becomes a song of divine deliverance. The burning furnace becomes a garden—a prelude to the transformative power of grace. The three holy children stand unharmed, praising God amid the flames.
St. Ambrose draws the connection: “As the angel preserved the faithful youths from the fire, so shall the Lord preserve His faithful in the tribulation to come.” (De Officiis 3,22)
In Advent, we too are tried by fire: the fire of penance, the fire of spiritual struggle. But Christ walks with us, preserving and sanctifying.
2 Thessalonians 2:1–8 – “The mystery of iniquity already worketh…”
From the joyous prophecies, we are sobered by the Apostle’s warning: before the coming of Christ, there must come the falling away. The mysterium iniquitatis—the mystery of lawlessness—precedes the revelation of the Lord Jesus.
St. John Chrysostom interprets this falling away as a warning not to be complacent in the Church’s visible peace: “Even when the Church flourishes, the enemy works in secret. We must be vigilant until the end.” (Homily on 2 Thessalonians)
As we prepare for Christ’s coming, we must beware false christs, false peace, and spiritual lethargy. The Second Coming will be as fire, revealing the thoughts of all hearts.
Luke 3:1–6 – “The voice of one crying in the wilderness…”
John the Baptist appears as the bridge between the prophets and the Messiah. He is the embodiment of Advent—clothed in camel’s hair, fasting, baptizing, proclaiming. He fulfills Isaiah’s cry: prepare the way of the Lord.
St. Augustine preaches: “John is the voice; Christ is the Word. Let us listen to the voice that we might be ready to receive the Word.” (In Ioannis Evangelium Tractatus 2)
The valleys of our hearts must be filled with humility, the mountains of pride made low. The crooked must be straightened—the twisted loves and false desires. The rough ways smoothed—through confession, prayer, fasting. “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Conclusion: Waiting in the Firelight
On this Ember Saturday in Advent, the Church holds vigil. Through fire and water, wilderness and dew, we are prepared to behold our God. Christ comes not only once, but thrice: in history, in mystery, and in majesty. Let us not merely remember His coming at Bethlehem. Let us prepare for His advent into our souls, and await His final coming in glory.
Let us fast with the Church, watch with the prophets, sing with the children in the furnace, and cry out with John: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
Prayer for the Ember Saturday in Advent:
O Lord, who didst send Thy messenger before Thee to prepare Thy way, grant that we, being cleansed by penance and inflamed with desire, may worthily welcome Thy coming in glory, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.