Monday of the First Week in Advent
Lectionary: 175
Lectionary: 175
On that day,
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.
When the LORD washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the LORD create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.
When the LORD washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the LORD create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 122:1-2, 3-4B, 4CD-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. Let us
go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
AlleluiaSEE PS 80:4
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Come and save us, LORD our God;
let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come and save us, LORD our God;
let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 8:5-11
When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Meditation: "Many will sit at
table in the kingdom of God"
Are you ready to feast at the Lord's banquet table?
God’s gracious invitation extends to all - Jew and Gentile alike - who will
turn to him with faith and obedience. Jesus used many images or pictures to
convey what the kingdom of God is like. One such image is a great banquet feast
given at the King's table (Matthew 8:11 and Luke 13:29). Jesus promised that
everyone who believed in him would come and feast at the heavenly banquet table
of his Father. Jesus told this parable in response to the dramatic request made
by a Roman centurion, a person despised by many because he was an outsider, not
one of the "chosen ones" of Israel. In Jesus' time the Jews hated the
Romans because they represented everything they stood against - including
foreign domination and pagan beliefs and practices.
The power to command with trust and respect
Why did Jesus not only warmly receive a Roman centurion but praise him as a model of faith and confidence in God? In the Roman world the position of centurion was very important. He was an officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone of the Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient writer, describes what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts."
Why did Jesus not only warmly receive a Roman centurion but praise him as a model of faith and confidence in God? In the Roman world the position of centurion was very important. He was an officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone of the Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient writer, describes what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts."
Faith in Jesus' authority and power to heal
The centurion who approached Jesus was not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his cronies as well as mockery from the Jews by seeking help from a traveling preacher from Galilee. Nonetheless, the centurion approached Jesus with great confidence and humility. He was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman world slaves were treated like animals - something to be used for work and pleasure and for bartering and trade. This centurion was a man of great compassion and extraordinary faith. He wanted Jesus to heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants him his request. Are you willing to suffer ridicule in the practice of your faith? And when you need help, do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith?
The centurion who approached Jesus was not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his cronies as well as mockery from the Jews by seeking help from a traveling preacher from Galilee. Nonetheless, the centurion approached Jesus with great confidence and humility. He was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman world slaves were treated like animals - something to be used for work and pleasure and for bartering and trade. This centurion was a man of great compassion and extraordinary faith. He wanted Jesus to heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants him his request. Are you willing to suffer ridicule in the practice of your faith? And when you need help, do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith?
Christ comes to establish God's kingdom of peace
where all peoples can feast at his table
The prophet Isaiah foretold a time of restoration for the holy city Jerusalem and for its remnants (see Isaiah 4:2-6) and also a time of universal peace when all nations would come to Jerusalem to "the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob" and "beat their swords into plowshares" (Isaiah 2:2-4). Jesus fulfills this prophecy first by restoring both Jew and Gentile to friendship with God through the victory he won for us on the cross. When he comes again he will fully establish his universal rule of peace and righteousness (moral goodness) and unite all things in himself (Ephesians 1:10). His promise extends to all generations who believe in him that we, too, might feast at the heavenly banquet table with the patriarchs of the Old Covenant (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) who believed but did not yet see the promised Messiah.
The prophet Isaiah foretold a time of restoration for the holy city Jerusalem and for its remnants (see Isaiah 4:2-6) and also a time of universal peace when all nations would come to Jerusalem to "the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob" and "beat their swords into plowshares" (Isaiah 2:2-4). Jesus fulfills this prophecy first by restoring both Jew and Gentile to friendship with God through the victory he won for us on the cross. When he comes again he will fully establish his universal rule of peace and righteousness (moral goodness) and unite all things in himself (Ephesians 1:10). His promise extends to all generations who believe in him that we, too, might feast at the heavenly banquet table with the patriarchs of the Old Covenant (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) who believed but did not yet see the promised Messiah.
Do you believe in God's promises and do you seek his
kingdom first in your life? The season of Advent reminds us that the Lord Jesus
wants us to actively seek him and the coming of his kingdom in our lives. The
Lord will surely reward those who seek his will for their lives. We can approach
the Lord Jesus with expectant faith, like the centurion in today's Gospel
reading (Matthew 8:5-11), knowing that he will show us his mercy and give us
his help.
"Lord Jesus, you feed us daily with your
life-giving word and you sustain us on our journey to our true homeland with
you and the Father in heaven. May I never lose hope in your promises nor
lag in zeal for your kingdom of righteousness and peace."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Welcoming the Lord Jesus with expectant faith and
humility, by Augustine of
Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When the Lord promised to go to the centurion's
house to heal his servant, the centurion answered, 'Lord, I am not worthy to
have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be
healed.' By viewing himself as unworthy, he showed himself worthy for Christ to
come not merely into his house but also into his heart. He would not have said
this with such great faith and humility if he had not already welcomed in his
heart the One who came into his house. It would have been no great joy for the
Lord Jesus to enter into his house and not to enter his heart. For the Master
of humility both by word and example sat down also in the house of a certain
proud Pharisee, Simon, and though he sat down in his house, there was no place
in his heart. For in his heart the Son of Man could not lay his head"
(Matthew 8:20). (excerpt from SERMON 62.1)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, MATTHEW
8:5-11
Advent Weekday
Advent Weekday
(Isaiah 4:2-6; Psalm 122)
KEY VERSE: "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith" (v 10).
TO KNOW: As Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion (a commander of 100 men at a military post), approached and asked him to heal his servant. Although this slave was of little importance in the Roman Empire, the centurion had compassion on this man. Although Jesus' ministry was to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt 15:24), he consented to go with this non-Israelite. The Centurion protested that he was unworthy to have Jesus enter his house. According to Jewish law, a Jew could not enter the Gentile's house since they considered them to be unclean. As an officer, the Centurion knew the power of a command, and he believed that Jesus only needed to speak a word to heal his servant. Jesus was amazed at the man's faith, and acknowledged that many would come from the "east and the west" (v 11), and would find a place at the banquet in God's kingdom. The faith of the Centurion anticipated the Church's missionary activity among the Gentiles.
TO LOVE: Do I have the courage to bring others to Jesus for healing?
TO SERVE: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed. (Prayer before communion from the New Roman Missal)
Monday 28 November 2016
Mon 28th.
Isaiah 2:1-5 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the
Lord—Ps 121(122):1-2, 4-5, 6-9. Matthew 8:5-11.
'Lord, I am not worthy'
The words 'Lord, I am not worthy that you
would enter under my roof' have had a special significance for me over the
recent years. Before the new translation of the English missal, these words
were 'Lord, I am not worthy to receive you'. Both are helpful. They allow us to
recognise that Jesus loves us despite our sin, but that our joy will be
complete when we grow more in his likeness. These words during the Eucharistic
prayer allow us to enter into the stance of humility. For some it comes more
naturally than others. While Jesus doesn't ask us to beat our brows and forever
don sackcloth and ashes, he encourages us to recognise our sin and seek
healing. In the remarkable healing of the centurion's servant, Jesus rewards
faith. He recognises the deep and humble faith of the centurion and offers hope
and peace.
ST. CATHERINE
LABOURÉ
On November 28, the
Church honors St. Catherine Labouré, the humble Daughter of Charity to whom
Mary appeared, requesting that the Miraculous Medal be stamped so that all who
wear it would receive great graces.
Saint Catherine
Labouré was born in France on May 2, 1806. She was the ninth of 11
children. Upon her mother’s death, when Catherine was eight years old, the
young girl assumed the responsibilities of the household. It was said of her
that she was a very quiet and practical child.
Eventually she became
a Daughter of Charity, and when she was still a novice at the age of 24, the
Virgin Mary appeared to her for the first time. Later, Mary appeared once again
and requested that Catherine have a medal made portraying Mary just as she
appeared.
It took two years
before Catherine was able to convince her spiritual director to have the medal
created, but eventually, he listened to her and 2,000 medals were made.
Their dispersal was so rapid and effective that it was said to be miraculous
itself.
After the visions
ceased, St. Catherine Labouré spent the rest of her life in humble and obedient
service as the portress, and worked with the sick in a convent
outside of Paris. She spent that time in silence, not telling her superior that
she was the one to whom Mary appeared and gave the medal until 45 years after.
She died in Paris on
December 31, 1876 and was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. Her
incorrupt body lies in the crypt of the convent.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 8,5-11
Lectio Divina:
Monday, November 28, 2016
1st Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord God, Father of all,
in your Son Jesus Christ
you invite everyone and all to know and love you
and to live in your unending peace.
Keep alive in us the zeal
to bring the light of your truth
and the riches of your life and love to all,
without any distinction
of race, language or culture.
May everyone on earth come to know you
as the merciful Father of all
through our brother and Saviour,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
in your Son Jesus Christ
you invite everyone and all to know and love you
and to live in your unending peace.
Keep alive in us the zeal
to bring the light of your truth
and the riches of your life and love to all,
without any distinction
of race, language or culture.
May everyone on earth come to know you
as the merciful Father of all
through our brother and Saviour,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 8, 5-11
When he went into Capernaum a centurion
came up and pleaded with him. 'Sir,' he said, 'my servant is lying at home
paralysed and in great pain.' Jesus said to him, 'I will come myself and cure
him.'
The centurion replied, 'Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man, "Go," and he goes; to another, "Come here," and he comes; to my servant, "Do this," and he does it.'
When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, 'In truth I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found faith as great as this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of Heaven."
The centurion replied, 'Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man, "Go," and he goes; to another, "Come here," and he comes; to my servant, "Do this," and he does it.'
When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, 'In truth I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found faith as great as this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of Heaven."
3) Reflection
Today’s Gospel is a mirror. It reminds
us of the words we say during the Mass at the moment of communion: “Lord, I am
not worthy that you should enter my house, say but the word and I will be
healed”. Look at this text in the mirror, it suggests the following:
• The person who seeks Jesus is a pagan, a gentile, a soldier of the Roman army, which dominated and exploited the people. It is not religion nor the desire for God, but rather the need and the suffering which impels him to seek Jesus. Jesus has no prejudices. He does not demand anything first, he accepts and listens to the request of the Roman official.
• Jesus’ answer surprises the centurion, because it is beyond his expectation. The centurion did not expect that Jesus would go to his house. He feels unworthy: “I am not worthy”. This means that he considered Jesus a highly superior person.
• The centurion expresses his faith in Jesus saying: “Say only one word and my servant will be cured”. He believes that the word of Jesus is capable of healing. From where does he get this great faith? From his profession experience as a centurion! Because when a centurion gives an order, the soldier obeys. He has to obey! Thus he imagines Jesus: it is enough for Jesus to say one word, and things will happen according to his word. He believes the word of Jesus encloses a creative force.
• Jesus was surprised, astonished, and praises the faith of the centurion. Faith does not consist in accepting, repeating and decorating a doctrine, but in believing and trusting in the word of Jesus.
• The person who seeks Jesus is a pagan, a gentile, a soldier of the Roman army, which dominated and exploited the people. It is not religion nor the desire for God, but rather the need and the suffering which impels him to seek Jesus. Jesus has no prejudices. He does not demand anything first, he accepts and listens to the request of the Roman official.
• Jesus’ answer surprises the centurion, because it is beyond his expectation. The centurion did not expect that Jesus would go to his house. He feels unworthy: “I am not worthy”. This means that he considered Jesus a highly superior person.
• The centurion expresses his faith in Jesus saying: “Say only one word and my servant will be cured”. He believes that the word of Jesus is capable of healing. From where does he get this great faith? From his profession experience as a centurion! Because when a centurion gives an order, the soldier obeys. He has to obey! Thus he imagines Jesus: it is enough for Jesus to say one word, and things will happen according to his word. He believes the word of Jesus encloses a creative force.
• Jesus was surprised, astonished, and praises the faith of the centurion. Faith does not consist in accepting, repeating and decorating a doctrine, but in believing and trusting in the word of Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Placing myself in the place of Jesus:
how do I accept and listen to the persons of other religions?
• Placing myself in the place of the centurion: which is the personal experience that leads me to believe in Jesus?
• Placing myself in the place of the centurion: which is the personal experience that leads me to believe in Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
Come near to me with your saving power,
let me share the happiness of your chosen ones,
let me share the joy of your people. (Ps 106)
let me share the happiness of your chosen ones,
let me share the joy of your people. (Ps 106)
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