“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
4th December 2017.
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MONDAY, FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Reading 1: Is 2:1-5Isaiah tells of a vision of the end times when the Lord’s house will finally be established, and all peoples will gladly find their home in it.
Res. Psalm: Ps 122:1-9Submit to God. Receive him into your life today. Cry out with the psalmist, "If your face shine upon us, then we shall be safe".
Gospel:Mt8:5-11Jesus willingly consents to heal the paralyzed servant of a centurion. His eagerness to heal is matched by his delight at the centurion’s deep faith.
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LONGING FOR JESUS
Advent is longing, it is anticipation, it is hope. Above all, it is a cry for help and healing out of the very heart of humankind. And each of us who has any kind of worry or sorrow has a part in the longing. Advent is for all mankind, but it is for each of us personally; it is for every family, every parish, and every religious community. The wounds of sin, as well as the ravages of the human condition cry out with the centurion of today's Gospel: “Sir, my servant is at home in bed paralyzed, suffering painfully.”
Several elements of this touching gospel scene are striking. The human qualities attract our attention, excite our wonder and teach us a lesson. First, it is remarkable that an officer of the Roman army would be concerned about a servant. When a slave was crippled or bedridden, it was for the typical owner to throw the useless, handicapped and unprofitable slave into the streets, or to sell such a person to be used in some task that did not require mobility. Therefore, it is a wonder that the sick servant had won the affection of his master, the centurion, who must have been an honorable, even loving person. Jesus surely recognized the man's virtue. This centurion was probably part of the Syrian army of occupation. Yet he was sensitive enough to realize that Jesus, a devout Jew, would not want to enter a Gentile house, lest he become ritually unclean. The centurion points out to Jesus that his troops obey him without question. His faith led him to believe that Jesus could likewise "command" his slave's illness at a distance. "Only say the word and my servant will be healed."
Jesus was amazed by the faith of the Centurion. His faith was so strong, with conviction, that the word of Jesus was enough to cure his servant from a distance. The Centurion, thus recognizes the divine authority of Jesus over the earthly realities, he acknowledges his own sinfulness and unworthiness to receive Jesus in his house. Knowing our weakness too, May we repeat the words of the Centurion each time, we receive Holy Communion in love and with deep longing.
Prayer: Lord, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ your Son. May he find us waiting, eager in joyous prayer. Come to us, Lord, and bring us peace. We desire to rejoice in your presence and serve you with all our heart. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen