Monday of the First Week of Advent
November 29, 2021
Monday of the First Week of Advent
Lectionary: 175
Reading I
This is what 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 mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!
Responsorial Psalm
122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
- Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
Come and save us, LORD our God;
let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
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.”
Reflection: HUMILITY AS A RESPONSE TO GOD'S LOVE
We have already entered into the season of Advent. The Gospel reading invites us to deepen our faith in the Lord who is coming. Faith springs from and takes root in a heart that is humble. This is important to reflect upon in our life as Christians. Faith is a response to the unconditional love of a God who decided to reveal Himself to us who do not deserve. A humble person realizes this and because of that he is in a better position to respond to God's revelation. Probably for this reason, the centurion's words are repeated during every Eucharistic celebration: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed". We understand that generally, a humble person makes room for other people in his or her life. A humble person has shed his or her defences and that makes him or her capable of welcoming all people without any discrimination. Humility gives a person the generosity of heart to accommodate difference of opinion. When Jesus praises the faith of the Centurion (one in charge of a hundred soldiers under him), a soldier in the Roman army, of course a pagan, and compares it with the faith of the people of Israel, it is understandable. It is interesting to make the following reflection: the heart of a humble person is fit to receive the Word of God whether he belongs to a particular religion or not. No wonder that the poor and humble shepherds in Bethlehem became the first to see the birth of the Saviour. A humble person is one who will acknowledge his strengths and weaknesses. Thus, he or she will be willing to ask forgiveness for their imperfections. As we are getting ready for the birth of the Saviour, it is good to look into ourselves and see if we are humble enough to receive the Lord. The basic requirement for receiving the Lord is to accept ourselves as we are.