First reading Isaiah 52:7-10

‘All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God’

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Sion, ‘Your God reigns.’
The voice of your watchmen — they lift up their voice;
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
the return of the Lord to Sion.
Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.

Reflection

‘These words of Isaiah, upon which we want to linger a while, make reference to the miracle of peace, and do so in a very specific way, placing the gaze not on the messenger but on his feet which are running quickly: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings…”.

‘He is like the spouse in the Canticle of Canticles who runs towards his beloved: “Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills” (Canticle of Canticles 2:8). Thus, even the messenger of peace runs, bringing the happy announcement of liberation, of salvation, and proclaiming that God reigns.

‘God has not abandoned his people, and he has not left them to be vanquished by evil, because he is faithful, and his grace is greater than sin.’ – Pope Francis