First Monday of Advent
– You can ponder on the picture. For a method of praying with pictures click button below.
– You can pray on the words of Scripture. For methods of praying with scripture click button below.
– You can follow the suggestions in the daily ‘Reflection’.
– You can listen to the music
Today’s Scripture
Isaiah 2:1-5 ESV
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Reflection
Isaiah’s words point us to the hope of a world in which war and conflict are no more.
Given the ongoing conflict in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, how do you respond to Isaiah’s words which speak of the nations of the world looking to and going to the mountain of God’s house, to Jerusalem, to learn the ways of God and follow them? The God whose judgement causes people not to wage war with each other, but beat their weapons into tools of prosperity for all.
Ignatius encourages us to speak with the Lord, as to a revered friend, about what we notice and how we feel about what comes up in our prayer.
What might you want to say to God about this passage?
How might you both pray and act towards the day when swords become ploughshares, spears pruning hooks and bullets and bombs a thing of the past?
Today’s Music
Spencer LaJoye – Plowshare Prayer