Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of
Isaiah, chapters 60 through 62. Chapter 60 Arise,
shine, for your light has come, and the glory
of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the
darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness
the people. But the Lord will arise over you,
and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles
shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness
of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around,
and see, they all gather together, they come
to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your
daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then
you shall see and become radiant, and your heart
shall swell with joy. Because the abundance of
the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of
the Gentiles shall come to you. The multitude
of camels shall cover your land, the dromedaries
of Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba shall
come. They shall bring gold and incense, and
they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together
to you. The rams of Nebaiot shall minister to
you. They shall ascend with acceptance on my
altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like
doves to their roosts? Surely the coastlands
shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish
will come first, to bring your sons from afar,
their silver and their gold with them, to the
name of the Lord your God, and to the Holy One
of Israel, because He has glorified you. The
sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
and their kings shall minister to you. For in
my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have
had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall
be opened continually. They shall not be shut
day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth
of the Gentiles and their kings in procession.
For the nation and kingdom which will not serve
you shall perish, and those nations shall be
utterly ruined. The glory of Lebanon shall come
to you, the cypress, the pine, and the box tree
together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary.
and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall
come bowing to you, and all those who despised
you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your
feet, and they shall call you the city of the
Lord, Zion, of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas
you have been forsaken and hated, so that no
one went through you, I will make you an eternal
excellence, a joy of many generations. You shall
drink the milk of the Gentiles, and milk the
breast of kings. You shall know that I, the Lord,
am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty
One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring
gold, instead of iron I will bring silver, instead
of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron.
I will also make your officers peace, and your
magistrates righteousness. Violence shall no
longer be heard in your land, neither wasting
nor destruction within your borders, but you
shall call your walls salvation and your gates
praise. The sun shall no longer be your light
by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give
light to you, but the Lord will be to you an
everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your
sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon
withdraw itself. For the Lord will be your everlasting
light, and the days of your mourning shall be
ended. Also your people shall all be righteous.
They shall inherit the land forever, the branch
of my planting, the work of my hands, that I
may be glorified. A little one shall become a
thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I,
the Lord, will hasten it in its time. The Spirit
of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord
has anointed me to preach good tidings to the
poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening
of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim
the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of
vengeance of your God, to comfort all who mourn,
to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,
that they may be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that they may be glorified.
And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall
raise up the former desolations, and they shall
repair the ruined cities, the desolations of
many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed
your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner shall
be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you
shall be named the priests of the Lord. They
shall call you the servants of our God. You shall
eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their
glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame
you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion
they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore
in their land they shall possess double. Everlasting
joy shall be theirs. For I, the Lord, love justice.
I hate robbery for burnt offering. I will direct
their work in truth, and will make with them
an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall
be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring
among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge
them, that they are the posterity whom the Lord
has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord.
My soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has
clothed me with the garments of salvation. He
has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the
garden causes the things that are sown in it
to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness
and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Chapter 62 For Zion's sake I will not hold my
peace. And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness
and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles
shall see your righteousness and all kings your
glory. You shall be called by a new name, which
the mouth of the Lord will name. You shall also
be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and
a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall
no longer be turned forsaken, nor shall your
land any more be termed desolate. But you shall
be called Havzeba, and your land Beulah. For
the Lord delights in you, and your land shall
be married. For as a young man marries a virgin,
so shall your sons marry you. And as the bridegroom
rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice
over you. I have set watchmen on your walls,
O Jerusalem. They shall never hold their peace.
day or night you who make mention of the lord
do not keep silent and give him no rest till
he establishes until he makes jerusalem a praise
in the earth the lord has sworn by his right
hand and by the arm of his strength surely i
will no longer give you grain as food for your
enemies and the sons of the foreigner shall not
drink your new wine For which you have labored.
But those who have gathered it shall eat it.
And praise the Lord. Those who have brought it
together shall drink it in my holy courts. Go
through. Go through the gates. Prepare the way
for the people. Build up. Build up the highway.
Take out the stones. Lift up a banner for the
peoples. Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the
end of the world. Say to the daughter of Zion.
Surely your salvation is coming. I hope you enjoyed
today's reading as much as I did and I look forward
to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our
journey. God bless you and have a great day.