King of Nations

Antiphon: “O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.”

Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4) .

The only joy of every human heart. Exactly. Yet so often we look for joy and love in all of the wrong places.  We try to find joy in alcohol, sex, material possession, drugs, success.  But only Jesus can satisfy the yearnings of the human heart.

Tessa Dahl the daughter of  Roald Dahl and Patricia Neal, at age 53 realizes that  after a lifetime of failed relationships and substance abuse, that there is a better path to happiness. She is discerning a vocation to the religious life.

I felt as if a boulder had been pushed off my heart and it was open to joy.’

She continues: ‘If I wanted to escape, I could do coke. But I don’t want to escape. I want redemption. I have so much guilt about all the pain I have caused the people I love. My cocaine habit was huge and I was probably drinking a bottle of vodka
a day.’ I felt as if a boulder had been pushed off my heart and it was open to joy.”   Read more here.