Would it not be wonderful if the earth were free from violence and fear? If people did not have to struggle to stay alive or to have the necessities of life? Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of the world that God wants – one in which no living thing needs fear another. Animals, serpents, people – all would live in harmony and peace. He muses that the whole earth would be full of the knowledge of God. This knowledge would not only be intellectual in nature but would reflect the experience of an encounter and relationship with the living God that all people would have. There would be no pain or death on God's holy mountain, which is not a place but an inner state of awareness of God’s presence.

The joy of knowing the sublime presence of God’s invisible hands in His created works is not something that we figure out purely by human means. St Francis Xavier’s arduous amd treacherous missionary journey to Asia was not without joy. He taught children to sing the Creed. On many occasions, he, like Jesus, rejoiced that recognising God’s presence is not exempted from the simple. On the contrary, it is a divine knowledge which the “wise”and “learned” are too proud to learn. In this instance, simple means humble and open to being taught. The “wise” are often resistant to learning new things. God is our teacher, if we will but listen humbly and with open hearts and minds.