In light of the Advent season, the first reading is particularly pertinent. God’s glory reigns, and all things revolve around him. It says, “All nations shall stream toward it,” toward his house. “Many peoples” want to climb up to him, to reach him on high. It takes such endurance to climb “the highest mountain,” but they are determined to “walk in his paths.” Isaiah describes the power of the Lord’s instruction. It brings peace upon the earth in which people’s weapons are turned into productive farming tools.

God instructs, and the people long to follow his instructions. Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of Christ who comes to instruct us in how to follow him. In our preparation, “let us climb the Lord’s mountain.” Our endurance during this season helps us to be all the more joyful at Jesus’ birth. We follow his instructions to “go rejoicing to the house of the Lord” even though we must struggle up a high mountain, incapable of fully uniting with Christ on earth. Peace and joy come from endurance during our struggles when we offer those struggles to God. Then, “one nation shall not raise the sword against another.”

Christ’s birth is a celebration of the Father’s peace, and Advent is a yearning after the celebration, which becomes all the more joyful when we finally reach it. Christ’s second coming will be wonderfully glorious, and as we live our time on earth waiting for him, we endure in faith, knowing that the joy and peace we receive now is a taste of the eternal graces “at the banquet of the Kingdom of heaven” to come.