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| “Saint Francis Xavier” artist and date are unknown. |
Reading 1: Isaiah 2:1-5
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!
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Commentary on Is 2:1-5
This selection presents Isaiah’s vision of a time of unity, the
great messianic destiny. He sees a time when all peoples will recognize God as
the one true God and flock to his call. (Isaiah uses the “highest mountain”
metaphor in the Hebrew context. High places were places closest to God.
Mountain tops frequently where places were altars were built. “Highest” would
then be above all others.) The “highest mountain” means that all other
beliefs become subservient to the One God. He sees the unity of all the nations
under one God and one Messiah.
The prophet sees the Law of the Lord governing all peoples, and a
time of great peace as a result of the universal unity of people in
faithfulness to God. “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of
the Lord!” Isaiah implores the faithful of the house of Jacob (the
Israelites) to fulfill his vision quickly.
.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122:1-2,
3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. 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.
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.
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Commentary on Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
Psalm 122 is a
song of praise that anticipates the great procession into God’s house. While
the Hebrews would have used this as a literal processional song, we see it as anticipating
our entry into the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God. It supports Isaiah’s
vision of the messianic kingdom (Isaiah 2:1-5); it also points to Jerusalem as the center and source of the Law
and the Davidic dynasty to rule the unified kingdom with the Lord our God
providing the source of peace.
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Gospel: Matthew 8:5-11
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
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.”
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Commentary on Mt 8:5-11
This story of the centurion is
shortened by a couple of verses to focus our attention on the authority of
Jesus, and the role faith can play in accessing that authority. The centurion’s
description of his own understanding of authority translates to his faith that
Jesus can command all things without needing to be physically present to that
which he commands. In the longer version, Jesus also condemns the Jewish people
for their lack of faith and heals the centurion's servant as requested.
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Reflection:
Our Advent readings start
with a vision of what will come as a result of the impending birth of Jesus.
Much as parents of a new baby have a vision of what that child will become,
Isaiah predicts that Christ, the Messiah, will come to unify God’s children and
bring peace. The Psalmist envisions that same kingdom, flowing from the dynasty
of King David’s throne. And the Gospel shows us that Jesus, Christ the King and
Prince of Peace, will command that kingdom. However, he does not tell us how
long that will take. God’s time has always been difficult for us.
As we begin our spiritual
preparation in Advent, we will use the analogy of our preparation for the
arrival of a child being born into our homes. We picture our lives in the
presence of such a wonder of compassion. As we do so, let us make room in our
hearts, creating a warm and inviting place.
We suggest that a first step
would be reconciliation, cleaning out the old bad things that might crowd the
space. It is somewhat ironic that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the
two sacraments of healing. When asked,
most Catholics might say that only Anointing of the Sick was a healing
device. Yet, here is what the Catechism
of the Catholic Church has to say:
1422 "Those
who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the
offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the
Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example,
and by prayer labors for their conversion."
Once we have fixed the
damage, we must put on a new coat of paint. That paint is our prayer life. That
room needs many coats to cover the natural tendencies of our human nature that
try to bleed through.
If we are currently not
spending much time in prayer, now is a great time to start. If we are spending
some time in prayer each day, let’s see if we can’t add some time or some
intentions to our list. Nothing warms the space in our heart like prayer.
Prayer, constant, praising, and loving, for ourselves, our families and the
world will create a warm space.
Pax
[1]
The picture used today is “Saint Francis Xavier” artist and date are unknown.
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible,
with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the
International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is
not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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