Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuàn thứ Nhất Mùa Vọng
Hôm nay, chúng ta đã một tuần chuẩn bị cho lễ Giáng sinh, chúng ta thấy rằng một trong những đức tính mà chúng ta cần phải có trong Mùa Vọng là hy vọng. Hy Vọng không chỉ theo cách thụ động, giống như một người đang chờ tàu, mà là hy vọng tích cực, hy vọng giúp chúng ta sẵn sàng trao đi tất cả những gì cần thiết để thấy Chúa Giêsu được tái sinh trong lòng chúng ta.
Như bài Tin mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy được cái thái độ của Chúa Giêsu đã làm trước đám đông rất đông người, Ngài đã cảm thấy xót thương cho họ khi Ngài nói “Mùa màng nhiều, thợ gặt ít! Vậy các ngươi hãy xin Chủ mùa sai thợ gặt đồng lúa của Người” (Mt 9: 37-38). Chúa luôn luôn muốn đặt niềm tin tưởng vào chúng ta, trong dù bất hoàn cảnh đa dạng nào của chúng ta Ngài luôn muốn chúng ta trở nên những tông đồ đích thực của thế giới chúng ta đang sống. Nhiệm vụ mà Thiên Chúa đã trao sai Con một của Ngài là đến với thế giới này đều phụ thuộc vào sự cộng tác và sự liên tục của chúng ta hôm nay. Như chúng ta đang thấy trong thời đại ngày nay cũa chúng ta, chúng ta nhận thấy một số các linh hồn đang tuyệt vọng và mất định hướng, họ khao khát vào Tin mừng Cứu độ mà Chúa Kitô đã mang đến cho chúng ta, và trong đó chúng ta là những sứ giả. Đó là một nhiệm vụ mà Chúa đã giao phó cho mỗi người chúng ta. Ý thức được những khuyết điểm yếu và yếu đuối, thất bại của chúng ta, chúng ta luôn nhận được sự hỗ trợ mà chúng ta cần được phát xuất ra trong việc cầu nguyện liên tục và chúng ta có thể rất vui mừng bởi vì với cách này chúng ta có thể hợp tác với Chúa trong kế hoạch cứu chuộc mà Chúa Kitô đã loan báo.
Reflection Saturday 1st week of Advent
Today, a week into our preparation for the celebration of Christmas, we see that one of the virtues which we have to work on during Advent is hope. Not in a passive way, like that of someone waiting for a train, but active hope, hope which gets us ready to give all that is needed for Jesus to be born again in our hearts.
We can't be happy just thinking about what it is we are hoping for, we have to think about what it is that God hopes of us. He wants us to follow him, just like he did the apostles. He tells us through Isaiah: «This is the way, walk in it» (Is 30:21, today's first reading). God hopes of us that we will give witness, each one in his own particular situation and circumstances that «the kingdom of heaven is near» (Mt 10:7).
Today's Gospel tells of how Jesus, in front of that huge crowd, felt compassion and said «the harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest» (Mt 9:37-38). He has always wanted to be able to count on us, he wants us, in all our diverse circumstances to become real apostles of the world in which we move and live. The mission for which God sent his son to the world depends on us for its continuation. We find in our present day a mass of desperate and disorientated souls, thirsting for the Good News of Salvation that Christ has brought us, and of which we are the messengers. It is a mission which has been entrusted to every one of us. Conscious of our weaknesses and our failings, we get the support we need from constant prayer and are happy that this way we can collaborate with the plan for redemption that Christ has revealed.
Saturday of the First Week of Advent
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Matthew 9:37–38
What does God want of you? What is your mission? Some fervent Christians may dream of becoming a popular evangelist. Some may dream of doing heroic acts of charity that are praised by all. And others may wish to live a very quiet and hidden life of faith, close to family and friends. But what does God want of YOU?
In the passage above, Jesus exhorts His disciples to pray for “laborers for his harvest.” You can be certain that you are among the “laborers” of which our Lord speaks. It’s easy to think that this mission is for others, such as priests, religious and full-time lay evangelists. It’s easy for many to conclude that they do not have much to offer. But nothing could be further from the truth.
God wants to use you in exceptionally glorious ways. Yes, “exceptionally glorious!” Of course, that does not mean that you will be the next most popular YouTube evangelist or enter the spotlight like Saint Mother Teresa did. But the work God wants of you is just as real and just as important as any of the greatest saints of old or who are alive today.
Holiness of life is discovered in prayer but also in action. As you pray each and every day and grow closer to Christ, He will exhort you to “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons” (Matthew 10:8) as today’s Gospel goes on to state. But He will call you to do this in the unique way within your own vocation. Your daily duty is not to be ignored. So who in your daily encounters are those who are the sick, the dead, the lepers and the possessed? Most likely they are all around you, to one extent or another. Take, for example, those who are “lepers.” These are those who are the “rejects” of society. Our world can be harsh and cruel, and some may find themselves feeling lost and alone. Who do you know who may fall into this category? Who needs a bit of encouragement, understanding and compassion? God has given you a daily duty that He has not given to another, and, for that reason, there are some who need your love. Look for them, reach out to them, share Christ with them, be there for them.
My dear Lord, I commit myself to Your divine mission. I choose You and Your holy will for my life. Send me, dear Lord, to those who are most in need of your love and mercy. Help me to know how I can bring that love and mercy to those entrusted to me so that they will experience in their lives Your glorious and saving grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday 1st week of Advent 2024
1. Isaiah’s Appeal to Jerusalem: The First Reading, from Isaiah 30, recalls our situation of need: we need bread and water; we need God’s blessing; we need a divine teacher; and we need our wounds to be bound up and healed. The sending of Jesus, as the Gospel shows, is God’s response to our cry. Isaiah 30 is an appeal to the city of Jerusalem to understand that God was ready to answer the prayers of his people. In verses 23-26, Isaiah symbolically describes Jerusalem’s recovery following the siege of the city by the Assyrians in 701 B.C. “This will be a time when the Lord provides an abundance of water, food, and light for the remnant of his people who are left” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bibl: Isaiah, 60). When Isaiah speaks about the “day of the great slaughter,” he is referring to the day when Jerusalem was delivered and when the angel of the Lord slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night to save the city. When everything in life seems bleak and dark, do I complain to God and blame him for my misery, or do I renew my trust in God that he will deliver me?
2. The Work of Jesus: In the Gospel, the Pharisees have just accused Jesus of working with Satan (Matthew 9:34). The old leadership of Jerusalem (the elders, the scribes, and the Pharisees) is ending, and Jesus will establish new leadership for the New Jerusalem. The Gospel first directs our attention to Jesus and his proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom. He proclaims the word of salvation that God reigns. Jesus cures the sick and leads them as a shepherd. Secondly, the Gospel tells us that Jesus invited his twelve Apostles to share in his mission. The Twelve were sent out, and they were given authority over unclean spirits, disease, and illness. Like Jesus, they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. Like Jesus, they cured the sick, raised the dead to life, cleansed lepers, and drove out demons. The evil kingdom of Satan has been conquered by Jesus and, one day, like the evil Assyrian empire that once threatened Israel, will definitively fall.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuàn thứ Nhất Mùa Vọng
Tiên tri Isaiah loan báo vào một thời điểm khi "những người điếc được nghe, người mù được thấy." Thời gian đó đã ra trong bối cảnh mà chúng ta nhận thấy trong các bài Tin Mừng trong tuần này.. Chúa Giêsu đã bộn rộn với sứ vụ, làm phép lạ, chữa lành, và rao giảng Tin Mừng qua các thị trấn và làng mạc của Israel, nơi mà nhiều người mù được Chúa cho thấy, và điếc được chúa cho nghe, và kết quả là họ ca ngợi và tạ ơnThiên Chúa .
Điều này có thể rất đúng vì Chúa Giêsu đã không còn ở đây như sự hiện diện tương tự của Ngài hơn 2000 năm trước đây, Với lòng Tin, chúng ta nhận được rằng Chúa Giêsu vẫn luôn luôn còn ở với chúng ta. Ngài hiện diện ngay trong tâm hồn và trong thân xác của chúng ta qua Bí Tích Thánh Thể. Ngài đang ở đây giữa chúng ta và lắng nghe lời chúng ta khấn nguyện và Ngài cũng đã đáp lại lời cầu nguyện của chúng ta, và Ngài cũng vẫn mãi luôn đang còn ở giữa chúng ta đây, vẫn đang tích cực làm việc với chúng ta và qua chúng ta Ngài đã chữa lành cho những người đau yếu, bệnh tật giữa chúng ta, Ngài cho phép người mù được nhìn thấy và những kẻ điếc nghe được. Chúa Giêsu đã cùng với các Tông Đồ trong nhiệm vụ đầu tiên của họ và ngày này, Ngài cũng đã và đang hiện diện với chúng ta trong Giáo Hội, nơi mà mọi người Kitô hữu đến với nhau như một cộng đồng để công bố Lời của Ngài và làm tròn bổn phận của chúng ta là môn đệ của Người.
Điều mà tất cả chúng ta phải làm là hãy tin tưởng và xây dựng đức tin của chúng ta, và hãy nhớ rằng Chúa Kitô rất muốn được ở ngay bên cạnh chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy gạt bỏ đi tất cả những mối nghi ngờ, sự cứng lòng tin và phải biết rộng mở tâm hồn chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy cùng nhau cầu nguyện với gia đình và với cộng đoàn giáo hội của chúng ta vì Chúa Kitô ở ngay giữa chúng ta. Chúa đã nói :"Vì ở đâu có hai ba người họp lại nhân danh Thầy, thì ta ở giữa họ." (Mt 18:20)”
REFLECTION
Isaiah proclaims a time when "the deaf shall hear [and] the eyes of the blind shall see." That time came amid Jesus' busy ministry through the towns and villages of Israel, where many blind and deaf people were healed and, as a result, they praised God in thanksgiving. We may think that that time is now in the past. The story of Jesus, after all, has fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. Jesus is no longer physically present here on earth and it would be unwise to count on miracles.
As it may be true that Jesus is not here in the same presence as He did more than 2,000 years ago, Jesus is very much still with us. He is with us spiritually in our hearts and physically with us through the Holy Eucharist. He is here listening to us and answering our prayers and he is here still actively working with us and through us to heal the sick, to enable the blind to see and the deaf to hear. He was with the Apostles during their very first missions and he is very much present as we in the Church come together as a community to proclaim His Word and do our duty as His followers.
All it takes is for us to believe and to build our faith, and to remember that he is very much alongside us. Let us cast away the doubts and open our hearts. Let us pray together with our families and with our church community. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mt 18:20)
"Lord, help me to draw near to you with confidence and trust in your saving power and mercy. Free me from doubt and unbelief that I may approach you confidently and pray boldly with expectant faith. Let your kingdom come and may your will be done in me."
Reflection:
Jesus didn't just preach about salvation, he did something about it. He saved us. He performed miracles and healed thousands of people and his whole life was just a living testimony of unconditional love. Faith without actions is dead. We can say how much we love God and go to church every Sunday, but if Jesus' presence isn't obvious in our lives, it all amounts to nothing. Without love, we are nothing. God didn't just ask us to stand by the sidelines, he called us to act. He commanded us to preach the good news. That's supposed to be our mission. And he gave us the power and the strength and the love to do it. The question is -- are we willing to do what he asks us to do? We need to participate in this cooperative effort for God's plan of salvation.
We cannot allow ourselves to be on the sidelines watching the world go by. As his followers, we should be willing to witness his love in our lives. Let us continue to pray for courage and faith to do just that.
Reflection (SG)
As he went around all the towns and villages, Jesus was, whether consciously or unconsciously, fulfilling Isaiah's prophetic promise: “with your own eyes you will see your teacher.” The Gospels insist that Jesus spoke openly, as he himself affirmed before the High Priest: “I have spoken openly for all the world to hear. I have always taught in the synagogues and in the Temple where all the Jews gather” (John 28:19-21). While mentioning the synagogues and Temple, Jesus also emphasizes his universal mission: “for all the world to hear”, and so at his Ascension he sent his disciples to all nations to preach the good news of salvation.
Matthew notes that Jesus’ ministry was twofold: preaching the good news and “curing every sickness and disease.” As we continue the public life of Christ in the Church and its mission to the world, we engage both in a ministry of preaching and of healing. We understand healing in a wider sense than the curing of bodily diseases. All work for justice and peace, for solidarity and reconciliation is a work of healing for our wounded society and world that all may know that this is the way we are to walk, as Isaiah proclaims.
Lord Jesus, in our ministry grant us a share in Your wisdom “to which there is no limit”.
1st Saturday of Advent
Opening Prayer: Lord God,
gather me and my family into your heavenly Kingdom. Increase my faith so that I
may believe in you more fully. Grant me the gift of hope that I may trust more
completely in your promises. Pour out your love into my heart so that I may serve
those in my care.
1. The Ingathering of Israel and the Gentiles into the Kingdom: During the first two weeks of Advent, the liturgy invites us to read every day from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Gospels selected for this week were chosen to bring out something in Isaiah’s text. Today’s readings are connected under the theme of the ingathering of Israel and the Gentile nations into the Kingdom of God. In the First Reading, Isaiah prophesies that one day, not just Israel but all nations will stream toward the Temple Mount. In the Gospel, Jesus heals the servant of a Gentile centurion, and, in this context, Jesus foresees that many “from east and west” will recline with the patriarchs of Israel – with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob – at the banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus understood that, as he proclaimed the arrival of God’s Kingdom in his public ministry, he was inaugurating what the prophets of Israel promised, namely, the restoration of the exiled tribes of Israel. Jesus accomplished this restoration by gathering Israel into the heavenly banquet of the Kingdom of God. Since the tribes of Israel were scattered among the Gentile nations in 722 B.C., it is by bringing the Gentiles into the Kingdom that God brings the scattered tribes of Israel home. The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in and by Jesus in and through the Church he establishes.
Hôm nay, chúng ta đã một tuần chuẩn bị cho lễ Giáng sinh, chúng ta thấy rằng một trong những đức tính mà chúng ta cần phải có trong Mùa Vọng là hy vọng. Hy Vọng không chỉ theo cách thụ động, giống như một người đang chờ tàu, mà là hy vọng tích cực, hy vọng giúp chúng ta sẵn sàng trao đi tất cả những gì cần thiết để thấy Chúa Giêsu được tái sinh trong lòng chúng ta.
Như bài Tin mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy được cái thái độ của Chúa Giêsu đã làm trước đám đông rất đông người, Ngài đã cảm thấy xót thương cho họ khi Ngài nói “Mùa màng nhiều, thợ gặt ít! Vậy các ngươi hãy xin Chủ mùa sai thợ gặt đồng lúa của Người” (Mt 9: 37-38). Chúa luôn luôn muốn đặt niềm tin tưởng vào chúng ta, trong dù bất hoàn cảnh đa dạng nào của chúng ta Ngài luôn muốn chúng ta trở nên những tông đồ đích thực của thế giới chúng ta đang sống. Nhiệm vụ mà Thiên Chúa đã trao sai Con một của Ngài là đến với thế giới này đều phụ thuộc vào sự cộng tác và sự liên tục của chúng ta hôm nay. Như chúng ta đang thấy trong thời đại ngày nay cũa chúng ta, chúng ta nhận thấy một số các linh hồn đang tuyệt vọng và mất định hướng, họ khao khát vào Tin mừng Cứu độ mà Chúa Kitô đã mang đến cho chúng ta, và trong đó chúng ta là những sứ giả. Đó là một nhiệm vụ mà Chúa đã giao phó cho mỗi người chúng ta. Ý thức được những khuyết điểm yếu và yếu đuối, thất bại của chúng ta, chúng ta luôn nhận được sự hỗ trợ mà chúng ta cần được phát xuất ra trong việc cầu nguyện liên tục và chúng ta có thể rất vui mừng bởi vì với cách này chúng ta có thể hợp tác với Chúa trong kế hoạch cứu chuộc mà Chúa Kitô đã loan báo.
Today, a week into our preparation for the celebration of Christmas, we see that one of the virtues which we have to work on during Advent is hope. Not in a passive way, like that of someone waiting for a train, but active hope, hope which gets us ready to give all that is needed for Jesus to be born again in our hearts.
We can't be happy just thinking about what it is we are hoping for, we have to think about what it is that God hopes of us. He wants us to follow him, just like he did the apostles. He tells us through Isaiah: «This is the way, walk in it» (Is 30:21, today's first reading). God hopes of us that we will give witness, each one in his own particular situation and circumstances that «the kingdom of heaven is near» (Mt 10:7).
Today's Gospel tells of how Jesus, in front of that huge crowd, felt compassion and said «the harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest» (Mt 9:37-38). He has always wanted to be able to count on us, he wants us, in all our diverse circumstances to become real apostles of the world in which we move and live. The mission for which God sent his son to the world depends on us for its continuation. We find in our present day a mass of desperate and disorientated souls, thirsting for the Good News of Salvation that Christ has brought us, and of which we are the messengers. It is a mission which has been entrusted to every one of us. Conscious of our weaknesses and our failings, we get the support we need from constant prayer and are happy that this way we can collaborate with the plan for redemption that Christ has revealed.
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Matthew 9:37–38
What does God want of you? What is your mission? Some fervent Christians may dream of becoming a popular evangelist. Some may dream of doing heroic acts of charity that are praised by all. And others may wish to live a very quiet and hidden life of faith, close to family and friends. But what does God want of YOU?
In the passage above, Jesus exhorts His disciples to pray for “laborers for his harvest.” You can be certain that you are among the “laborers” of which our Lord speaks. It’s easy to think that this mission is for others, such as priests, religious and full-time lay evangelists. It’s easy for many to conclude that they do not have much to offer. But nothing could be further from the truth.
God wants to use you in exceptionally glorious ways. Yes, “exceptionally glorious!” Of course, that does not mean that you will be the next most popular YouTube evangelist or enter the spotlight like Saint Mother Teresa did. But the work God wants of you is just as real and just as important as any of the greatest saints of old or who are alive today.
Holiness of life is discovered in prayer but also in action. As you pray each and every day and grow closer to Christ, He will exhort you to “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons” (Matthew 10:8) as today’s Gospel goes on to state. But He will call you to do this in the unique way within your own vocation. Your daily duty is not to be ignored. So who in your daily encounters are those who are the sick, the dead, the lepers and the possessed? Most likely they are all around you, to one extent or another. Take, for example, those who are “lepers.” These are those who are the “rejects” of society. Our world can be harsh and cruel, and some may find themselves feeling lost and alone. Who do you know who may fall into this category? Who needs a bit of encouragement, understanding and compassion? God has given you a daily duty that He has not given to another, and, for that reason, there are some who need your love. Look for them, reach out to them, share Christ with them, be there for them.
My dear Lord, I commit myself to Your divine mission. I choose You and Your holy will for my life. Send me, dear Lord, to those who are most in need of your love and mercy. Help me to know how I can bring that love and mercy to those entrusted to me so that they will experience in their lives Your glorious and saving grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. Isaiah’s Appeal to Jerusalem: The First Reading, from Isaiah 30, recalls our situation of need: we need bread and water; we need God’s blessing; we need a divine teacher; and we need our wounds to be bound up and healed. The sending of Jesus, as the Gospel shows, is God’s response to our cry. Isaiah 30 is an appeal to the city of Jerusalem to understand that God was ready to answer the prayers of his people. In verses 23-26, Isaiah symbolically describes Jerusalem’s recovery following the siege of the city by the Assyrians in 701 B.C. “This will be a time when the Lord provides an abundance of water, food, and light for the remnant of his people who are left” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bibl: Isaiah, 60). When Isaiah speaks about the “day of the great slaughter,” he is referring to the day when Jerusalem was delivered and when the angel of the Lord slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night to save the city. When everything in life seems bleak and dark, do I complain to God and blame him for my misery, or do I renew my trust in God that he will deliver me?
2. The Work of Jesus: In the Gospel, the Pharisees have just accused Jesus of working with Satan (Matthew 9:34). The old leadership of Jerusalem (the elders, the scribes, and the Pharisees) is ending, and Jesus will establish new leadership for the New Jerusalem. The Gospel first directs our attention to Jesus and his proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom. He proclaims the word of salvation that God reigns. Jesus cures the sick and leads them as a shepherd. Secondly, the Gospel tells us that Jesus invited his twelve Apostles to share in his mission. The Twelve were sent out, and they were given authority over unclean spirits, disease, and illness. Like Jesus, they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. Like Jesus, they cured the sick, raised the dead to life, cleansed lepers, and drove out demons. The evil kingdom of Satan has been conquered by Jesus and, one day, like the evil Assyrian empire that once threatened Israel, will definitively fall.
Tiên tri Isaiah loan báo vào một thời điểm khi "những người điếc được nghe, người mù được thấy." Thời gian đó đã ra trong bối cảnh mà chúng ta nhận thấy trong các bài Tin Mừng trong tuần này.. Chúa Giêsu đã bộn rộn với sứ vụ, làm phép lạ, chữa lành, và rao giảng Tin Mừng qua các thị trấn và làng mạc của Israel, nơi mà nhiều người mù được Chúa cho thấy, và điếc được chúa cho nghe, và kết quả là họ ca ngợi và tạ ơnThiên Chúa .
Điều này có thể rất đúng vì Chúa Giêsu đã không còn ở đây như sự hiện diện tương tự của Ngài hơn 2000 năm trước đây, Với lòng Tin, chúng ta nhận được rằng Chúa Giêsu vẫn luôn luôn còn ở với chúng ta. Ngài hiện diện ngay trong tâm hồn và trong thân xác của chúng ta qua Bí Tích Thánh Thể. Ngài đang ở đây giữa chúng ta và lắng nghe lời chúng ta khấn nguyện và Ngài cũng đã đáp lại lời cầu nguyện của chúng ta, và Ngài cũng vẫn mãi luôn đang còn ở giữa chúng ta đây, vẫn đang tích cực làm việc với chúng ta và qua chúng ta Ngài đã chữa lành cho những người đau yếu, bệnh tật giữa chúng ta, Ngài cho phép người mù được nhìn thấy và những kẻ điếc nghe được. Chúa Giêsu đã cùng với các Tông Đồ trong nhiệm vụ đầu tiên của họ và ngày này, Ngài cũng đã và đang hiện diện với chúng ta trong Giáo Hội, nơi mà mọi người Kitô hữu đến với nhau như một cộng đồng để công bố Lời của Ngài và làm tròn bổn phận của chúng ta là môn đệ của Người.
Điều mà tất cả chúng ta phải làm là hãy tin tưởng và xây dựng đức tin của chúng ta, và hãy nhớ rằng Chúa Kitô rất muốn được ở ngay bên cạnh chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy gạt bỏ đi tất cả những mối nghi ngờ, sự cứng lòng tin và phải biết rộng mở tâm hồn chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy cùng nhau cầu nguyện với gia đình và với cộng đoàn giáo hội của chúng ta vì Chúa Kitô ở ngay giữa chúng ta. Chúa đã nói :"Vì ở đâu có hai ba người họp lại nhân danh Thầy, thì ta ở giữa họ." (Mt 18:20)”
REFLECTION
Isaiah proclaims a time when "the deaf shall hear [and] the eyes of the blind shall see." That time came amid Jesus' busy ministry through the towns and villages of Israel, where many blind and deaf people were healed and, as a result, they praised God in thanksgiving. We may think that that time is now in the past. The story of Jesus, after all, has fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. Jesus is no longer physically present here on earth and it would be unwise to count on miracles.
As it may be true that Jesus is not here in the same presence as He did more than 2,000 years ago, Jesus is very much still with us. He is with us spiritually in our hearts and physically with us through the Holy Eucharist. He is here listening to us and answering our prayers and he is here still actively working with us and through us to heal the sick, to enable the blind to see and the deaf to hear. He was with the Apostles during their very first missions and he is very much present as we in the Church come together as a community to proclaim His Word and do our duty as His followers.
All it takes is for us to believe and to build our faith, and to remember that he is very much alongside us. Let us cast away the doubts and open our hearts. Let us pray together with our families and with our church community. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mt 18:20)
"Lord, help me to draw near to you with confidence and trust in your saving power and mercy. Free me from doubt and unbelief that I may approach you confidently and pray boldly with expectant faith. Let your kingdom come and may your will be done in me."
Jesus didn't just preach about salvation, he did something about it. He saved us. He performed miracles and healed thousands of people and his whole life was just a living testimony of unconditional love. Faith without actions is dead. We can say how much we love God and go to church every Sunday, but if Jesus' presence isn't obvious in our lives, it all amounts to nothing. Without love, we are nothing. God didn't just ask us to stand by the sidelines, he called us to act. He commanded us to preach the good news. That's supposed to be our mission. And he gave us the power and the strength and the love to do it. The question is -- are we willing to do what he asks us to do? We need to participate in this cooperative effort for God's plan of salvation.
We cannot allow ourselves to be on the sidelines watching the world go by. As his followers, we should be willing to witness his love in our lives. Let us continue to pray for courage and faith to do just that.
As he went around all the towns and villages, Jesus was, whether consciously or unconsciously, fulfilling Isaiah's prophetic promise: “with your own eyes you will see your teacher.” The Gospels insist that Jesus spoke openly, as he himself affirmed before the High Priest: “I have spoken openly for all the world to hear. I have always taught in the synagogues and in the Temple where all the Jews gather” (John 28:19-21). While mentioning the synagogues and Temple, Jesus also emphasizes his universal mission: “for all the world to hear”, and so at his Ascension he sent his disciples to all nations to preach the good news of salvation.
Matthew notes that Jesus’ ministry was twofold: preaching the good news and “curing every sickness and disease.” As we continue the public life of Christ in the Church and its mission to the world, we engage both in a ministry of preaching and of healing. We understand healing in a wider sense than the curing of bodily diseases. All work for justice and peace, for solidarity and reconciliation is a work of healing for our wounded society and world that all may know that this is the way we are to walk, as Isaiah proclaims.
Lord Jesus, in our ministry grant us a share in Your wisdom “to which there is no limit”.
1. The Ingathering of Israel and the Gentiles into the Kingdom: During the first two weeks of Advent, the liturgy invites us to read every day from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Gospels selected for this week were chosen to bring out something in Isaiah’s text. Today’s readings are connected under the theme of the ingathering of Israel and the Gentile nations into the Kingdom of God. In the First Reading, Isaiah prophesies that one day, not just Israel but all nations will stream toward the Temple Mount. In the Gospel, Jesus heals the servant of a Gentile centurion, and, in this context, Jesus foresees that many “from east and west” will recline with the patriarchs of Israel – with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob – at the banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus understood that, as he proclaimed the arrival of God’s Kingdom in his public ministry, he was inaugurating what the prophets of Israel promised, namely, the restoration of the exiled tribes of Israel. Jesus accomplished this restoration by gathering Israel into the heavenly banquet of the Kingdom of God. Since the tribes of Israel were scattered among the Gentile nations in 722 B.C., it is by bringing the Gentiles into the Kingdom that God brings the scattered tribes of Israel home. The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in and by Jesus in and through the Church he establishes.
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