Daily Reflection – Dec 7, 2015

Monday 7 December 2015

First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm Response:
Our God will come to save us!
Psalm 84(85):9-14
Gospel Acclamation:
Behold the king will come, the Lord of the earth,
and he himself will lift the yoke of our captivity.
Gospel Reading: Luke 5:17-26

Today’s Saint: St Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Gospel Reading:

One day as Jesus was teaching,
Pharisees and teachers of the law,
who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem,
were sitting there,
and the power of the Lord was with him for healing.
And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed;
they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence.
But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd,
they went up on the roof
and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles
into the middle in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said,
“As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves,
“Who is this who speaks blasphemies?
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply,
“What are you thinking in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he said to the one who was paralyzed,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

He stood up immediately before them,
picked up what he had been lying on,
and went home, glorifying God.
Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God,
and, struck with awe, they said,
“We have seen incredible things today.”

Reflection:

‘Rejoice’ sings Isaiah’s wilderness.

Everything will bloom and shout with joy.

If you open your eyes and look, you will see that right here is your God, both in the present and for the future. God’s arrival transforms everything through love – every inability, lack and desolation. The ones who are transformed will celebrate, shout and sing with praise for God. In place of a wilderness of restlessness and searching is a road that leads to home, a home with God.

This Advent season I invite you to reflect not only on God’s coming in Christ but also your coming home. God comes. God is here. So sing and shout for joy. The love, generosity and compassion of our God is fulfilled for all the peoples of the world through our hope and faith. We are the love that transforms our corner of the world and it is through love that we are finally home.