Monday 5 December
Monday of the 2nd week of Advent Gospel - Luke 5:17-26 “Then some men appeared, carrying on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. But as the crowd made it impossible to find a way of getting him in, they went up on to the flat roof and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith he said, ‘My friend, your sins are forgiven you.” These some men are the protagonist of this passage. Seeing their faith Jesus forgave the sins of the paralysed. Their faith is superb. Imagine all the challenges they had to face. Trying to enter through the main door, impossible. Trying to find another door, failing. The gospel itself speaks about the impossibility of finding a way. Then these men come up with a wonderful idea of climbing the roof, lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. This faith does not stop with the challenges and difficulties, it keeps going and finding solutions. This faith brings people to Jesus. This faith does not be bothered by the comments of others. This faith becomes the reason for the salvation of others. Let’s reflect: Advent is the time to have the faith which finds solutions before challenges and not stuck up in difficulties.
Sunday 4 December
2nd Sunday of Advent Gospel - Matthew 3:1-12 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’” John the Baptist feels the presence of God nearby. And that is why he said, “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.” First, what we need is to feel the presence of God nearby us. Then we think about preparing the way of the Lord. Secondly, we see the lifestyle of John the Baptist who calls for the preparation of the way for the Lord. “This man, John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” The preparation for the Lord begins in ourselves, when we leave the superficial and when we underline the essentials. We don’t run to conform ourselves to the standards of the world around us but we become what attracts the world to repent. And thirdly, humility makes the final step in the preparation. “but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” With humility we can become the instruments of the Holy Spirit. We purify ourselves the Holy Spirit. Let’s reflect: Advent is the time to feel the nearness of the Lord and to prepare His way with our lifestyle and with our humility.
Saturday 3 December
Saint Francis Xavier, Priest on Saturday of the 1st week of Advent Gospel - Matthew 9:35-10:1,5,6-8 “Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel… You received without charge, give without charge’”. Jesus came to us and made us His disciples without charge. He took us with our weakness and defects. He shared His authority with us, to go to the lost sheep. The condition of someone around us as lost, is where our mission starts. To look around to understand who is lost, who is crying, who is desperate, who is depressed, is the first step. Often, we don’t see the lost. We see those who come to the Church and are active in different realities of the Church. But be sure, our mission begins where one around us, feels lost. After understanding that this person feels lost or is lost, we must give him or her back the sense of life, his or her dignity, the meaning of life. And this giving back becomes a giving back without charge when this giving is sharing, when this giving is without pretension, as a service. Let’s reflect: Advent is the time to make all our giving a sharing in serving the other.
Friday 2 December
Friday of the 1st week of Advent Gospel - Matthew 9:27-31 “As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, ‘Take pity on us, Son of David.’ And when Jesus reached the house, the blind men came up with him and he said to them,” . This is a beautiful scene. Two blind man following Jesus. These two blind men following until Jesus reached the house. Very challenging - keep shouting to somebody without knowing and following blindly someone without knowing. But they continued. They did not see Him, but they continued. They did not hear any reply for their shouting, but they continued. The darkness in their eyes, nor the silence in their ears stopped them. They keep following and shouting. The unanswered prayers are invitation to keep going, keep following, keep shouting. They met him at the house where Jesus is. Let’s reflect: Advent is the time to keep following and calling Jesus even when we don’t see any answers.