Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water;
The abode where jackals lurk
will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.
A highway will be there,
called the holy way;
No one unclean may pass over it,
nor fools go astray on it.
No lion will be there,
nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it.
It is for those with a journey to make,
and on it the redeemed will walk.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
They will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
The peace of the Lord be with you.
The words of Isaiah are not only prophetic but they are poetic. They describe the harmony that was intended since the beginning of time — a harmony that is restored when our relationship to our creator, our heavenly Father, is restored.
Isaiah reminds us again that God is reaching out for us, that he wants to have a relationship with us. That everything is right when that portion of our lives is aligned with His will for us and for the world.
At this time when there is so much unpredictability may these words give us hope, may they remind us that everything will be made right in the end and there will be peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.