Presence

I take a moment or two to tune into my breath and come before God. I prepare myself to read and reflect on the Word of God.

First Reading

Isaiah 2:1-5 NRSVue

The word that 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 of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

First Reading Reflection

Isaiah invites us today: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.’ This is our orientation as we begin our Advent journey, to place ourselves on the mountain of God, where we can see clearly, stand in the light and where “he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” As preparations for Christmas get underway, this is a time to orient and centre ourselves on what is important. It is striking that our very first reading for Advent speaks of peace, and we pray that “nation shall not lift up sword against nation” – this couldn’t be more apt for the times we are living in. We pray most fervently therefore, that peace will reign once again in our troubled and war-torn world.

Gospel

Matthew 8:5-11 NRSVue

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will take their places at the banquet with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,

Gospel Reflection

The Roman centurion saw Jesus at work in healing, teaching and praying. Somehow he knew that Jesus could cure his servant even from a distance. He believed that the Word of Jesus could reach across time and the space between people. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t want to make the journey. It was, rather, that he wanted to praise the faith of the centurion, a foreigner in Capernaum. Faith is what Jesus looks for, in each of our hearts. How is my faith, as I venture out on the road towards Bethlehem? Can I ask God to renew a childlike faith and trust in me, just like the trust that the baby Jesus had in his mother Mary?

Closing Prayer

Thank you God for this special season of Advent. May your Word find a home in me, be deeply rooted, and bear fruit in an increase of faith, hope and love in my life. Amen.