Monday of the First Week of Advent

“Healing the Centurion’s Servant”
by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875

 
Readings for Monday of the First Week of Advent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 

Reading 1: Isaiah 4:2-6

On that day,

The branch of the Lord will be luster and glory,

and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor

for the survivors of Israel.

He who remains in Zion

and he who is left in Jerusalem

Will be called holy:

every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.

When the Lord washes away

the filth of the daughters of Zion,

And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst

with a blast of searing judgment,

Then will the Lord create,

over the whole site of Mount Zion

and over her place of assembly,

A smoking cloud by day

and a light of flaming fire by night.

For over all, the Lord’s glory will be shelter and protection:

shade from the parching heat of day,

refuge and cover from storm and rain.

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Commentary on Is 4:2-6

The Prophet envisions a time when the Lord will give his divine blessing to the faithful who patiently await the moment of God’s great glory. “The ‘branch of the Lord’ (v. 2) is a title belonging to the king in the line of David (cf. Isaiah 11:1). It is not only the ‘remnant’ of Israel that will survive and see the glory of the purified Jerusalem, but also the Messiah, David's son.”[4] This section of Isaiah’s oracle is seen as anticipating the fulfillment of the messianic promise in Jesus Christ.

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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.
 
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.
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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 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.”
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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.
 
Jesus’ response to the centurion is "'I will personally go and heal him.'" [This would have made the centurion and his home instantly famous and satisfied the centurion's request. But instead of simply following the Lord, he replies:] "'O Lord, I am not worthy...': Before he explains his reasoning, the centurion utters the second half of his prayer, which has been immortalized by the Roman liturgy as the exclamation before receiving Holy Communion." [4]
 
In the longer version, Jesus also condemns the Jewish people for their lack of faith and heals the centurion's servant as requested.
 
CCC: Mt 8:8 1386; Mt 8:10 2610; Mt 8:11 543
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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
 

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[1] The picture used today is “Healing the Centurion’s Servant” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[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.
[4] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 516.