2nd Week of Advent
11th December 2023 (Monday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Sion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Psalm 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14 (R. see Isaiah 35:4f)
R/. Our God will come and save us!
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Behold, the King will come, the Lord of earth: and he will take away the yoke of our captivity.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Luke 5:17-26
On one of those days, as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’, or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know thatthe Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: Rise and go home!
Guidlines: In a life that is tormented by so much infirmity and deformity, of various kinds, we all need healing; we need a new lease of life. That is possible only with God{alertSuccess}
1. Jesus heals a paralytic in the gospel. But in healing, he utters not only words of physical healing but also words of forgiveness. He says, “Your sins are forgiven”. That invites a lot of criticism from his opponents and they blame him for blasphemy. Thereby, Jesus makes it very clear that what is more important is inner healing, spiritual healing, and healing from sin.
2. Sin paralyzes us and so we need to be reactivated and rejuvenated from our passivity and tepidity. Jesus says, “Rise and walk; go home”. We need to rise from our spiritual paralysis. We need to walk actively in the path of the Lord. We need to go home – to be reconciled and reunited with the Father and also to be in affable and benevolent relationships with our brethren.
3. Thus, the healing that Jesus brings is not merely a physical act. It affects the whole life and person. It brings a new life. It restores the lost dignity, energy, and joy. This is exactly the messianic gift – holistic healing and renewed joy.
4. Jesus in this way becomes the fulfilment of the messianic prophecy in the first reading from Isaiah: “The eyes of the blind are opened, the ears of the deaf are unstopped, the lame shall leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy”.
5. Truly, Jesus, the Messiah “strengthens the weak hands, makes firm the feeble knees. Sorrow and sighing flee away, and joy and gladness shall flow”. The dry land and wilderness shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom.
6. They shall turn into springs and streams of water, and produce. Yes, Jesus makes a total difference in our lives, if only he is allowed to enter into our life, take control of it and direct it. With him in control, things will not be the same.
Practice: Let us constantly listen to the assuring words of God, “Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance against evil, with recompense. He will come and save you”{alertSuccess}