1st Week of Advent
09th December 2023 (Saturday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel: For a people shall dwell in Sion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it", when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.
Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (R. see Isaiah 30:18)
R/. Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5а, 6-8
At that time: Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest." And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay."
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: No more will you weep!
Guidlines: Every man of God and every disciple of Christ is called to work for God’s kingdom which is a harvest of abundant compassion and good fruits{alertSuccess}
1. One unparalleled feature that marks the whole life and mission of Jesus is his compassion. It was his compassion that permeated and steered all his teaching, preaching and healing. It was compassion that drove him to be one with the sick and the needy, the despised and depressed. In fact, his very incarnation is nothing but the greatest testimony of this unbounded compassion.
2. In our modern world, this is one thing that is most lacking. Selfishness and indifference are overriding compassion. Besides often compassion is not understood in its full sense. Mostly it is limited only to some passion feeling of pity or sympathy. But in Jesus, we see the real soul and the drive of compassion.
3. He is deeply sensitive to the struggles and the needs of others. We are told: he had compassion for the crowd, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Yes, he feels deep within for them. He becomes one with them and suffers together in empathy and total solidarity. This is the real com-passion that is, suffering together.
4. However, that does not stop there. His compassion is also alleviating. He removes the pain of the other and grants relief, comfort and new vigour. Thus, he teaches, preaches and heals. He is the perfect replica and fulfilment of the words of the prophet Isaiah about God’s compassion in the first reading.
5. As he comes and intervenes, “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. He will bind up the hurt of his people; he will heal the wounds inflicted by his blow. You shall be guided rightly; there will be abundance”.
6. This mission of compassion is not just limited to him alone. It does not finish and stop with him. It continues. And we, his disciples are the ones called to continue the same mission of compassion.
7. That is why he says to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out the labourers into his harvest”. They promote the same mission of preaching and healing and bringing back the lost sheep.
8. Further, in carrying out this mission, they are not left to themselves to struggle on. They are empowered by his own power. However, the disciples of Jesus who labour for the harvest of God’s kingdom are not paid workers.
Practice: We must work freely and generously because it is our duty and responsibility out of gratitude. For “we received without paying; therefore we give without pay”{alertSuccess}