Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
(Is 40:1-5,9-11)

One of the most beautiful prophecies of Isaiah—used very effectively in Handel’s Messiah. Today is also the feast of Saint Nicholas! The picture today is of the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas the Great, in Rio Negro, Antioquia, Colombia.