Isaiah 11: 1-10
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
The Peace of Heaven
The images of harmony in nature that Isaiah describes are beautifully idyllic. They paint a picture of the heaven to come, where “all is calm, and all is bright.” But this Advent, let’s not lose sight of the prayer that Jesus taught us and the fact that we ought to try to build the Kingdom of God “on earth as it is in heaven.” It could be a daunting challenge, but one that Jesus himself was willing to embrace through his incarnation and ministry.
Let’s not wait for heaven to experience the peace that each of us desires. Let’s ask God and ourselves what our role is in this world that yearns for justice and see how we might contribute today.
—Joe Ertle, SJ, is a Jesuit scholastic of the Midwest Province currently studying philosophy at the ITESO, a Jesuit university in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Prayer
Our Father,
Who sent your Son from heaven to share your peace,
Hallowed be your Name.
Help us to build your Kingdom here and now,
So that your will might be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us the graces we need to ensure
That no one goes hungry;
That no one suffers violence;
That no one goes unnoticed.
Help us bring peace into the world,
And overcome all forms of injustice and evil.
For we believe that your kingdom, peace, and harmony
Could be ours to share, now and forever.
Amen.
—Joe Ertle, SJ
Pray with the Pope
Pray with the monthly prayer intentions of the pope.