WEBVTT 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:08.779 in a year. Today's reading is from the book of 00:00:08.779 --> 00:00:14.919 Isaiah, chapters 60 through 62. Chapter 60 Arise, 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:17.960 shine, for your light has come, and the glory 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:20.859 of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the 00:00:20.859 --> 00:00:23.660 darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:26.739 the people. But the Lord will arise over you, 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:30.260 and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles 00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:33.140 shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:36.119 of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:39.320 and see, they all gather together, they come 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:42.579 to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your 00:00:42.579 --> 00:00:45.560 daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:48.460 you shall see and become radiant, and your heart 00:00:48.460 --> 00:00:51.100 shall swell with joy. Because the abundance of 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:53.979 the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:56.299 the Gentiles shall come to you. The multitude 00:00:56.299 --> 00:00:59.939 of camels shall cover your land, the dromedaries 00:00:59.939 --> 00:01:03.619 of Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba shall 00:01:03.619 --> 00:01:06.879 come. They shall bring gold and incense, and 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:08.799 they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. 00:01:09.019 --> 00:01:11.980 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together 00:01:11.980 --> 00:01:15.260 to you. The rams of Nebaiot shall minister to 00:01:15.260 --> 00:01:17.879 you. They shall ascend with acceptance on my 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:20.379 altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:23.799 Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:26.799 doves to their roosts? Surely the coastlands 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:29.920 shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:32.859 will come first, to bring your sons from afar, 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:35.799 their silver and their gold with them, to the 00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:38.159 name of the Lord your God, and to the Holy One 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:41.099 of Israel, because He has glorified you. The 00:01:41.099 --> 00:01:44.040 sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:46.920 and their kings shall minister to you. For in 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:49.959 my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:53.040 had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:55.680 be opened continually. They shall not be shut 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:59.120 day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:02.079 of the Gentiles and their kings in procession. 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:04.859 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve 00:02:04.859 --> 00:02:08.039 you shall perish, and those nations shall be 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:11.259 utterly ruined. The glory of Lebanon shall come 00:02:11.259 --> 00:02:14.039 to you, the cypress, the pine, and the box tree 00:02:14.039 --> 00:02:17.080 together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary. 00:02:17.580 --> 00:02:20.300 and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:23.719 Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:26.780 come bowing to you, and all those who despised 00:02:26.780 --> 00:02:29.560 you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:32.740 feet, and they shall call you the city of the 00:02:32.740 --> 00:02:36.699 Lord, Zion, of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas 00:02:36.699 --> 00:02:40.020 you have been forsaken and hated, so that no 00:02:40.020 --> 00:02:43.080 one went through you, I will make you an eternal 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:46.710 excellence, a joy of many generations. You shall 00:02:46.710 --> 00:02:49.069 drink the milk of the Gentiles, and milk the 00:02:49.069 --> 00:02:52.669 breast of kings. You shall know that I, the Lord, 00:02:52.830 --> 00:02:55.169 am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty 00:02:55.169 --> 00:02:58.090 One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring 00:02:58.090 --> 00:03:01.270 gold, instead of iron I will bring silver, instead 00:03:01.270 --> 00:03:04.569 of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. 00:03:04.930 --> 00:03:08.349 I will also make your officers peace, and your 00:03:08.349 --> 00:03:11.530 magistrates righteousness. Violence shall no 00:03:11.530 --> 00:03:14.310 longer be heard in your land, neither wasting 00:03:14.310 --> 00:03:17.009 nor destruction within your borders, but you 00:03:17.009 --> 00:03:19.889 shall call your walls salvation and your gates 00:03:19.889 --> 00:03:23.610 praise. The sun shall no longer be your light 00:03:23.610 --> 00:03:26.590 by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give 00:03:26.590 --> 00:03:29.469 light to you, but the Lord will be to you an 00:03:29.469 --> 00:03:33.289 everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your 00:03:33.289 --> 00:03:36.189 sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon 00:03:36.189 --> 00:03:38.969 withdraw itself. For the Lord will be your everlasting 00:03:38.969 --> 00:03:41.490 light, and the days of your mourning shall be 00:03:41.490 --> 00:03:44.590 ended. Also your people shall all be righteous. 00:03:44.870 --> 00:03:47.650 They shall inherit the land forever, the branch 00:03:47.650 --> 00:03:50.669 of my planting, the work of my hands, that I 00:03:50.669 --> 00:03:53.789 may be glorified. A little one shall become a 00:03:53.789 --> 00:03:57.310 thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I, 00:03:57.310 --> 00:04:04.330 the Lord, will hasten it in its time. The Spirit 00:04:04.330 --> 00:04:06.810 of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord 00:04:06.810 --> 00:04:09.569 has anointed me to preach good tidings to the 00:04:09.569 --> 00:04:12.409 poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, 00:04:12.669 --> 00:04:16.009 to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening 00:04:16.009 --> 00:04:18.730 of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim 00:04:18.730 --> 00:04:21.529 the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of 00:04:21.529 --> 00:04:24.930 vengeance of your God, to comfort all who mourn, 00:04:24.930 --> 00:04:28.370 to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them 00:04:28.370 --> 00:04:31.670 beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:34.860 the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, 00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:37.740 that they may be called trees of righteousness, 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:40.959 the planting of the Lord, that they may be glorified. 00:04:41.259 --> 00:04:44.259 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall 00:04:44.259 --> 00:04:47.240 raise up the former desolations, and they shall 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:49.819 repair the ruined cities, the desolations of 00:04:49.819 --> 00:04:53.040 many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:55.600 your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner shall 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:58.839 be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:01.649 shall be named the priests of the Lord. They 00:05:01.649 --> 00:05:04.449 shall call you the servants of our God. You shall 00:05:04.449 --> 00:05:06.889 eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their 00:05:06.889 --> 00:05:09.930 glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame 00:05:09.930 --> 00:05:12.689 you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion 00:05:12.689 --> 00:05:15.910 they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore 00:05:15.910 --> 00:05:19.110 in their land they shall possess double. Everlasting 00:05:19.110 --> 00:05:22.810 joy shall be theirs. For I, the Lord, love justice. 00:05:22.930 --> 00:05:26.300 I hate robbery for burnt offering. I will direct 00:05:26.300 --> 00:05:29.360 their work in truth, and will make with them 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:32.439 an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:35.139 be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring 00:05:35.139 --> 00:05:38.339 among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge 00:05:38.339 --> 00:05:41.279 them, that they are the posterity whom the Lord 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:44.319 has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:47.779 My soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has 00:05:47.779 --> 00:05:50.480 clothed me with the garments of salvation. He 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:52.680 has covered me with the robe of righteousness, 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:55.620 as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:58.519 and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:02.259 For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the 00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:04.939 garden causes the things that are sown in it 00:06:04.939 --> 00:06:08.779 to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness 00:06:08.779 --> 00:06:12.639 and praise to spring forth before all the nations. 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:18.959 Chapter 62 For Zion's sake I will not hold my 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:21.810 peace. And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest 00:06:21.810 --> 00:06:25.050 until her righteousness goes forth as brightness 00:06:25.050 --> 00:06:28.970 and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles 00:06:28.970 --> 00:06:31.810 shall see your righteousness and all kings your 00:06:31.810 --> 00:06:35.449 glory. You shall be called by a new name, which 00:06:35.449 --> 00:06:38.810 the mouth of the Lord will name. You shall also 00:06:38.810 --> 00:06:42.110 be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and 00:06:42.110 --> 00:06:45.410 a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall 00:06:45.410 --> 00:06:48.490 no longer be turned forsaken, nor shall your 00:06:48.490 --> 00:06:52.019 land any more be termed desolate. But you shall 00:06:52.019 --> 00:06:55.779 be called Havzeba, and your land Beulah. For 00:06:55.779 --> 00:06:58.160 the Lord delights in you, and your land shall 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:01.339 be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:04.699 so shall your sons marry you. And as the bridegroom 00:07:04.699 --> 00:07:08.079 rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:11.079 over you. I have set watchmen on your walls, 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.759 O Jerusalem. They shall never hold their peace. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:17.300 day or night you who make mention of the lord 00:07:17.300 --> 00:07:20.899 do not keep silent and give him no rest till 00:07:20.899 --> 00:07:24.480 he establishes until he makes jerusalem a praise 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:27.300 in the earth the lord has sworn by his right 00:07:27.300 --> 00:07:31.060 hand and by the arm of his strength surely i 00:07:31.060 --> 00:07:34.060 will no longer give you grain as food for your 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:36.699 enemies and the sons of the foreigner shall not 00:07:36.699 --> 00:07:39.709 drink your new wine For which you have labored. 00:07:39.850 --> 00:07:42.589 But those who have gathered it shall eat it. 00:07:42.689 --> 00:07:45.490 And praise the Lord. Those who have brought it 00:07:45.490 --> 00:07:48.990 together shall drink it in my holy courts. Go 00:07:48.990 --> 00:07:51.790 through. Go through the gates. Prepare the way 00:07:51.790 --> 00:07:54.829 for the people. Build up. Build up the highway. 00:07:55.269 --> 00:07:58.829 Take out the stones. Lift up a banner for the 00:07:58.829 --> 00:08:01.689 peoples. Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the 00:08:01.689 --> 00:08:04.529 end of the world. Say to the daughter of Zion. 00:08:04.829 --> 00:08:25.560 Surely your salvation is coming. I hope you enjoyed 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:28.180 today's reading as much as I did and I look forward 00:08:28.180 --> 00:08:30.240 to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:32.320 journey. God bless you and have a great day.