Saint of the Day for 9 May: St. Isaiah
St. Isaiah: Prophet of Hope and Spiritual Guide in the Old Testament
Name
St. Isaiah
Title
Prophet
Birth
765 B.C., Kingdom of Judah
Death
700 B.C., Kingdom of Judah
Recurrence
9 May
Martyrology
2004 edition
Prayer
Pillars of the Church, living stones! Prophets of God, cry of the Word! Blessed are your feet, for they have come to proclaim peace to the whole world.
Standing at the crossroads of life, of pilgrim man and peoples, you bring God’s water to the weary, God’s hunger you bring to the hungry.
From door to door goes your message that is Truth, that is Love, that is Gospel. Fear not, sinners, for His hands are caresses of peace and consolation.
Thank you, Lord, for the bread of your word is given to us out of your love, true bread; thank you, Lord, for the bread of new life is given to us out of your love, broken for us. Amen
Saint Isaiah, pray for us.
Roman Martyrology
Commemoration of St. Isaiah, prophet, who, in the days of Ozias, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, was sent to reveal to the unfaithful and sinful people the faithfulness and salvation of the Lord in fulfillment of God’s promise to David. Among the Jews it is handed down that he died a martyr’s death under King Manasseh.
The Saint and Mission
St. Isaiah is one of the most emblematic figures of the biblical world, whose mission as a prophet led him to be a voice of warning and hope for the people of Israel. His life, immersed in a period of great political and social turmoil, was marked by a deep commitment to delivering divine messages that often challenged power and comforted the underprivileged. Through his prophecies, Isaiah not only predicted future events but also called for conversion, social justice and faithfulness to God. His poetic language and vivid visions left an indelible imprint on theology and literature, illustrating the prophet’s role as mediator between God and humanity. Isaiah’s mission was not simply to predict or warn, but to lift people’s spirits to a future of redemption and peace. His work thus has a double value: it is both a guide to understanding divine ways and an encouragement to pursue justice and love in an often hostile world.
The Saint and Mercy
St. Isaiah, in the context of his extensive prophetic work, deeply embodied the concept of divine mercy. Through his words, Isaiah conveyed a vision of God who, despite just wrath for the iniquities of the people, is always ready to offer forgiveness and renewal to those who sincerely repent. The prophet described with intensity and passion how God’s mercy extends beyond punishment, repeatedly inviting Israel to return to the right path to enjoy the Lord’s protection and love. Isaiah’s prophecies do not merely threaten judgment; they are imbued with promises of restoration and future blessings, emphasizing that mercy is a central element of the divine nature. This balanced view between justice and mercy still resonates today, offering a profound lesson in how mercy can guide correction and how, through it, we can find a way toward reconciliation and peace both with God and with each other.
Hagiography
Isaiah, a Hebrew prophet, was born around the year 765 B.C. to his father Amoz and lived in a time of great social and political tension, under threat of an Assyrian invasion of Israel. In 740 b.c., the year King Ozio died, Isaiah had a vision in the temple in Jerusalem in which the Lord sent him to announce to the people the ruin of Israel. A priest of the tribe of Levi, Isaiah is one of the five most important prophets mentioned in the Bible. What is important that can be said about the life of the prophet Isaiah is that, unlike in the case of other prophets, the poetic, political and…