Sunday Thoughts

The Roman Catholic Missal roughly follows a three year cycle.  Over that cycle, one would hear a substantial cross section of both the Old and New Testament.

The following is from today's first reading, Isaiah 35.  This reading has special meaning for me because it is one of the readings Mrs ERJ and I chose for our wedding ceremony almost thirty years ago.

The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe (prairie) will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.

 Like many passages from the Prophets, this can be incredibly joyful, even romantic.

I found that the parts about strengthening trembling knees, etc. spoke quite personally to me, there at the marriage altar.