My Monday Daily Blessings
Be
still, quiet your heart and mind, the Lord is here loving you, talking to
you...............................................
Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest (Catholic
Observance)
Monday of
the First Week of Advent (Roman Rite Calendar)
First Reading: Is 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw
concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7,
8-9
"Let us go rejoicing to the house of the
Lord."
Gospel: Mt 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."
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."
**
Reflection:
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
banquest feast given at the King's table. 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.
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 write, 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." 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 an itinerant 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 prophet Isaiah foretold a time of universal peace when all nations
would come 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 fellowship 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 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 who believed but did not 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 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, knowing that he will show us his
mercy and give us his help.
**
Prayer:
"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." Amen.
Sources:
Lectionary for Mass
for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright
© 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm
refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy,
Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be
reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including
electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright
owner.
**Don
Schwager
Author and Writer, Sword of the
Spirit
Editor of Living
Bulwark
and member of Servants of the Word,
UK
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