What Isaiah saw is not a human pipe dream; but a divine revelation – a vision, a Word from God. This is not one person’s “hope against hope” in a disintegrating world. This is the promise of God who rules the world. God calls us to faith in this soaring promise of peace to become peacemakers. Today’s Gospel provides us with a wonderful model of faith, in the person of a Roman Centurion who trustingly turns to Jesus for help. “Only say the word”, he says, “and my servant shall be healed”. We too are called to put our trust in the word of Jesus, who is himself the eternal Word of God. The centurion expresses a belief in something which he does not fully understand. Being from non-Jewish culture, the notion of a redeeming Messiah was not something he could possibly comprehend. It is fair to say, therefore, that he had “blind faith”. But perhaps all genuine faith is, by its nature, blind. Let us listen eagerly for that Word which has the power to heal us and our broken world.

PRAYER: Abba Father, we pray for a deeper experience of your mercy and love. Amen.