The Nations Shall Come

Isaiah 60:4-5
Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
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The Nations Shall Come
Throughout the world, people of faith are waiting eagerly to celebrate in just a few days the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In small villages and in huge metroplexes, the birth of Christ is anticipated. The world knows the story, it’s been told and retold for millennia. Yet, for many, this most holy night is simply another secular holiday. The Christ is missing from Christmas.  Even for many Christians, the worldly aspects of presents and cookie parties, trees and stockings, become the focus.  It has become so pervasive that many churches don’t even have a service on Christmas Day, citing poor attendance or that the day is about being with family. Isaiah helps to refocus our attention to where it should be: the coming Messiah. It is a day in which all the faithful gather together and rejoice in the salvation won for us.  Isaiah tells us the “sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you,” and it has! And in this we marvel, and sing with St. Ambrose:
Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin's Son, make here thy home!
Marvel now, O heav'n and earth,
that the Lord chose such a birth.