The reading from Isaiah, nicely picked up by the response--Psalm 122--takes us to Zion: the hill on which Jerusalem sat, where the temple rested, whence royal Davidic enterprises worked, and most important of all, where stood God’s cosmic throne, rooted deep in the earth and brushing the heavens. The main voice speaking here seems to have been an 8th century prophet (later attracting and accumulating additional material from the sixth-century exile and the fifth-century return) who had the challenge of advising several kings of Judah not to antagonize by any action they might contemplate the powerful and hungry Assyrian empire to the north. In this short passage, we hear the voices of "Gentile" and "Jew" intone respectfully, even antiphonally: "Let us climb the Lord’s mountain...."; "Let us walk in the light of the Lord...." They are drawn to the gentle hill of Jerusalem which the prophet, with characteristic love of exaggeration and contrast, glorifies into earth’s highest mountain. There they seek its resources: strength, joy, instruction, justice, peace. Conscious of the descendants of these eager pilgrims assembling at Annapolis, it seems urgent that we join our hearts with those in their midst who seek God’s gifts that Isaiah promises and that we turn our own feet and hands, lips and hearts, to whatever deeds of peace we can contribute in solidarity to the cosmos. Barbara Green, O.P.
Isaiah's Promise
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
This week on “Preach,” the Rev. Peter Wojcik, the pastor of St. Clement Church in Chicago, Ill., preaches for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B, and shares strategies for preaching to a parish of mostly young adults.
“His presence brings prestige to our nation and to the entire Group of 7. It is the first time that a pope will participate in the work of the G7,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.
“Many conflicting, divergent and often contradictory views of the human person have found wide acceptance … they have led to holders of traditional theories being cancelled or even losing their jobs,” the bishops said.
Robots can give you facts. But they can’t give you faith.