Psalm 72 is dedicated to Solomon and celebrates his wealth and glory. More importantly, however, the Psalm praises his just and peaceful reign. Beyond this historical level of meaning there lies Israel's hope for the Messiah and God's often-repeated promise of that Messiah, as comparison of the Psalm with the reading from Isaiah testifies. God's different promises gave hope to Israel, especially when they saw those promises fulfilled. All of God's discrete promises pointed to the promise of the Messiah and found their culmination in that great promise. All of Israel's hopes, and indeed the hopes of every human heart, find their fulfilment in Jesus. During these Advent weeks, our liturgy continually reminds us of God's promises and the hope that draws us to recognize in Jesus of Nazareth the fulfilling of all promises while he himself remains the incarnate promise which drives our human history to fulfilment in eternal life in the Resurrection, for he is the Word of God made flesh to give us the gift of the Spirit and of life. He teaches us: "The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life" [Jn 6:63], for we are those to whom He, the Son, has revealed the Father.