Alliance for Catholic Education
"Give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1
When I think about the book of the prophet Isaiah, my memory often conjures up powerful proclamations, calls for conversion, and stunning descriptions of the end times.
But, in praying anew with Isaiah at the start of Advent, I realized that amid his striking and sometimes arresting words, Isaiah offers deeply comforting images of God:
the shepherd who gathers lambs; the potter who shapes us, the clay; a God who makes justice spring up in every land and every nation; a God who gives us an only son, Emmanuel, so that God may be with us always.
These images must have offered great peace to the Israelites in exile who initially heard them; indeed, they bring me comfort and peace in the midst of a weary world today.
As we go about our Advent preparations and seek to form disciples in our Catholic schools, may we take Isaiah’s words to heart, and may we share God’s comfort with our students and our faculty.
Who are the people in my school in greatest need of a message of peace and hope in these days? How can I reveal God’s comfort, joy, and love with my actions and words this Advent?
God, our Comforter, fill us with the light of your love: a love that called the world out of darkness, a love from which nothing can separate us. May we never fear to reach out to others in need of your comfort. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Sarah Perkins
Remick Leadership Pastoral Team, Alliance for Catholic Education