Saturday of the first week of Advent

Presence

I come into the presence of the One who is the Way, the Truth & the Life.

First Reading

Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-24 NRSVue

O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any longer, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, will be rich and plenteous. On that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures, and the oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat silage that has been winnowed with shovel and fork.

First Reading Reflection

There are times when we need to hear that ‘things will get better’. People say it to us, and often it rings true. Isaiah’s reading today is that things will get better for God’s people – they will find their way, they will get home. He uses all sorts of imagery: rain for the fields, nourishing grain, animals with plenty to eat, flowing streams in the wilderness and bright lights to vanquish the darkness. The Lord is the Lord of consolation, inviting us to faith in the promises of God’s Word. In preparing for Christmas we can look forward to the best of life: friendship, gifts and thoughtfulness in family life and in our relationships, and the promise of God’s help and support in all moments and circumstances of our lives.

Gospel

Matthew 9:35-10:1,5,6-8 NRSVue

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness.

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

Gospel Reflection

All of Isaiah’s promises will come true through Jesus. He will look out for the poor, he will heal the sick, the lame, the blind. He will give nourishment with his word. But he will not do this on his own. There is a “sending out”: his disciples were to go especially to people who were lost and, with the power given by him, to do what he would have done. The same is true today. The kingdom of God will come on earth through God’s people. Each of us knows that we can play a part, even a simple part, in proclaiming and spreading the kingdom of heaven. It’s like how each of us in our circle of family and friends plays our part in making a good Christmas for others. One cranky person can ruin Christmas for everyone else! Similarly, a simple act of love can change the whole atmosphere and lift everyone’s spirits. During Advent, we can think of simple ways to make a good Christmas, beginning now, for others.

Closing Prayer

Dear God, help me to prepare for Christmas by going out as the disciples did, in faith, and in the authority of your name, to love others and to put their needs first. Show me ways to bring your healing, light and peace wherever I go, and to whomever I meet. Amen.