Visions of the Holy

Today's first reading (Isaiah 6:1-8) gives us Isaiah's magnificent vision of God in his holiness.

It is truly magnificent: not only in its depiction of the heavenly court, but also in its reminder of human unworthiness as well as the grace of God that purges our imperfections, enables us to live with holiness, and empowers us to bring to others the truth of God.

I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above;
each of them had six wings:
with two they veiled their faces,
with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft.

They cried one to the other,
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!"

At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.

Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it and said,
"See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"

"Here I am," I said; "send me!"

(And we bring all this to mind at every Mass at the recitation or singing of the Sanctus.)