Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: The Sacred Vessels of the Word

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture, Oct 23, 2023

Isaiah the Prophet writes: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is. 55:10-11) God chooses human vessels to sail God’s Word throughout history.

On the eve of the Incarnation, St. John the Evangelist summarizes the prophecy of Isaiah: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (Jn. 1-4)

God created man in His image and likeness. Male and female, He created them. He bid them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Families would have carried the pristine Divine imprint of the Word until their mysterious divinization in eternal glory. After the Fall, families expanded into nations and nations participated in familial duties as vessels of the Word. As peoples spiraled into the horrors of evil and false worship, God identified the Chosen People—the Twelve Tribes of Israel—as His vessel to advance the Word in history. …