Isaiah gives us a mandate to proclaim the glad tidings of the glory of the Lord, to proclaim them from the mountain top.  I’ve been on many a mountain top and it takes plenty of knowledge, energy, and persistence to get there. This seems to be in contradiction to his claim that in order for the glory of the Lord to be revealed, every mountain and hill shall be made low.  I don’t think this is meant to be taken literally, that God will lower the mountains to make them easier for us to climb. It is meant figuratively, to encourage us to start the climb and not give up and to know that with God and each other we can get to the top.  If we work hard at our spirituality, our commitment to a prayerful and active Catholic life, at living a life that truly gives comfort to God’s people, that feeds the flocks and protects the lambs, then it may just seem as if the mountains that we need to climb to combat resistance, injustice, intolerance, and hatred are not so high after all.