Flowers Bloom in the Desert

Again in today's first reading from the prophet Isaiah we have a very striking image for Israel -- a desert -- which evokes aridity, barrenness, and death. Yet. The prophet tells us that the desert will be filled with an abundance of flowers. Of course, he does not mean that a desert will literally bloom, but that the "desert" of Israel, which at this point in its history seem lifeless and fruitless will not always be so but will again produce fruit, in Jesus. The same thing happens to the "desert" of our heart when Jesus comes -- flowers begin to bloom there. Let's pray and wait for this during Advent!