Monday of the First Week of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

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.”

As the centurion approaches Jesus in today’s reading, he appeals to Jesus to help his servant, who, as the centurion says, “is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” Jesus offers to go to him and cure him, but the centurion tells him: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” Jesus is amazed at his faith and heals his servant. I notice how the centurion refers to Jesus as Lord. The term comes from the Greek word kyrie, meaning “supreme in authority.” By calling Jesus “Lord,” the centurion acknowledges that Jesus, not the emperor, has supreme authority. Jesus describes the faith of the centurion as nothing he has seen in all of Israel. It is his Father, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who has the power and authority to draw all to him.

God, help me follow the example of faith of the centurion. At every Mass, we repeat his words: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” I want to comprehend that such power and authority as the centurion had over others in no way prevented him from recognizing his helplessness in a desperate situation, where he sought the good of the other.

Jesus, let me rest in you today as if I were before you, present in the Blessed Sacrament, even amid the day’s clamor. Let me give my cares to you freely so that I can know the joy of anticipation of your birth. Through your grace, keep me attentive to your word so that I can know and do your will. Like the centurion, let me be unafraid to appeal to you for help, whatever the need.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Readings

First Sunday of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Today, the first Sunday of Advent, the Gospel reading from Matthew depicts Jesus telling the disciples about the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus compares that time to the time of Noah, where people were carrying on with everyday concerns: eating, drinking, and marrying. Jesus urges us to remain vigilant for the day when he returns. On this first day of Advent, what can I do to prepare for the arrival of Christmas, the First Coming of Christ, when Jesus becomes through his birth the Word Incarnate, God with us?

God, help me take to heart the significance of this day and of this season and where it leads me. I want to learn how to become closer to you, Lord, and devote more of my time to you. Give me the grace to see you and your work throughout the day and be grateful for your abiding presence day after day.

Thank you, Lord, for this time of expectancy, the time to await the coming of your Son, a child born of Mary in Bethlehem. The pathway to joy you make clear; embrace me with your mercy and help me stay on it so that I can say as the psalmist says: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Readings

https://youtu.be/2W-KSOPWWBY

Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

The Gospel acclamation echoes what Jesus says in today’s Gospel reading: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.” At the very end of the liturgical year, Jesus tells us that being drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and daily anxiety occludes the word of God in our lives. Jesus warns us not to be caught off guard, to stay awake and pray to avoid the tribulations of each day that take our focus away from God.

God, help me understand that moments of this day will come when I tend toward lulling myself into a kind of sleep—whether through pleasure, self-reassurance, overindulgence, or anxiety. The list goes on. Grant me the grace today to stay alert, to be vigilant through prayer and awareness of your presence. Help me to know and do your will.

Lord, you sent an angel to John to tell him through his visions that you are coming soon and that your words are trustworthy and true. “Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, my savior!” Show me your love and mercy; help me raise my head to face my redemption.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Readings

https://youtu.be/VYNGcSXvoLE

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

Jesus told his disciples a parable. “Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus shares a simple parable with his disciples. In his description of the change of seasons from spring to summer, he sets up a comparison of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus, who is consubstantial with the Father, through him all things were made, created the natural order for the good of his children; in the same way, the supernatural order, the new creation is a place of continual praise and glory: “Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus says, “but my words will not pass away.” If Jesus connects the natural and supernatural worlds in the broadest way—all of the seasons, all of nature—how does he bring me from my natural, earthly existence into eternal life? How do I recognize that the Kingdom of God is coming and that it is already here?

Thank you, God, for the gift of faith, strengthened through the Eucharist and the sacraments. Help me see, as you see, the connectedness of your creation and the solid foundation of truth on which it stands: “My words will not pass away.”

Father in heaven, you are love and mercy itself. Let my being rest in you, the source of all grace, trusting in this life in what will not pass away and enjoying it forever in the life to come.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Readings

https://youtu.be/Dd7YbWyPcQo