Christmas Greetings, dear ones!!

This meditation looks at the infant Jesus and considers Isaiah’s prophecy: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse”

{ yes, for those of you participating in the retreat, this is the same theme we followed this week! feel free to revisit it in a slightly different form here. }

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,the Spirit of counsel and of might,the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,or decide by what he hears with his ears;but with righteousness he will judge the needy,with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.Righteousness will be his beltand faithfulness the sash around his waist.The wolf will live with the lamb,the leopard will lie down with the goat,the calf and the lion and the yearling together;and a little child will lead them.The infant will play near the cobra’s den,and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.They will neither harm nor destroyon all my holy mountain,for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lordas the waters cover the sea.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.