Listen to me, O coastlands,
\nand hearken, you peoples from afar.
\nThe Lord called me from the womb,
\n from the body of my mother he named my name.
\nHe made my mouth like a sharp sword,
\n in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
\nhe made me a polished arrow,
\n in his quiver he hid me away.
\nAnd he said to me, \u201cYou are my servant,
\n Israel, in whom I will be glorified.\u201d
\nBut I said, \u201cI have labored in vain,
\n I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
\nyet surely my right is with the Lord,
\n and my recompense with my God.\u201d<\/p>\n
And now the Lord says,
\n who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
\nto bring Jacob back to him,
\n and that Israel might be gathered to him,
\nfor I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
\n and my God has become my strength\u2014
\nhe says:
\n\u201cIt is too light a thing that you should be my servant
\n to raise up the tribes of Jacob
\n and to restore the preserved of Israel;
\nI will give you as a light to the nations,
\n that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thus says the Lord,
\n the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
\nto one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
\n the servant of rulers:
\n\u201cKings shall see and arise;
\n princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
\nbecause of the Lord, who is faithful,
\n the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thus says the Lord:
\n\u201cIn a time of favor I have answered you,
\n in a day of salvation I have helped you;
\nI have kept you and given you
\n as a covenant to the people,
\nto establish the land,
\n to apportion the desolate heritages;
\nsaying to the prisoners, \u2018Come forth,\u2019
\n to those who are in darkness, \u2018Appear.\u2019
\nThey shall feed along the ways,
\n on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
\nthey shall not hunger or thirst,
\n neither scorching wind nor sun shall smite them,
\nfor he who has pity on them will lead them,
\n and by springs of water will guide them.
\nAnd I will make all my mountains a way,
\n and my highways shall be raised up.
\nLo, these shall come from afar,
\n and lo, these from the north and from the west,
\n and these from the land of Syene.\u201d<\/p>\n
–Isaiah 49:1-12<\/p>\n
\nFor Epiphany we'd love to share our beautiful stained glass window showing the Adoration of the Magi. pic.twitter.com\/JcAPL3mRV8<\/a><\/p>\n
— Rochester Cathedral (@RochesterCathed) January 6, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n