Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Intention: That the start of this Advent will herald for us a time of prayer and conversion as we return our hearts and our lives to the work of building God’s Kingdom of peace, justice, and love.
Today’s Gospel | Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Then he summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
A Short Reflection for Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “And in the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God.” The picture of the newborn Jesus shining through the nighttime darkness reminds us of how God’s redemption finds us. The grace of God did not seek to overwhelm or dominate us. Instead, it reached out to us as a humbly-born infant, as an invitation to welcome and to embrace. By coming to us as one of us, God affirmed the sacredness of our own identity and the sacramental potential of our own actions. By coming to us in an ordinary setting, God blessed the highs and lows of our day-to-day lives. A God who will be with us where we are and as we are is a God who believes in us. The time of Advent is a time for realizing that we are gifted with a God who insists on blessing every means at hand in order to make us whole.
Prayer
Eternal Father, you are good and just in everything that you do. You bless us with the wonder of life in you. May we give our thanks by being part of your works in all of their abundant mercy. Increase our awareness of one another and, just as you do, reach out to them with welcoming and helping hands. In this time of Advent, gather us in to witness to your Son as we live his Gospel and build up your Kingdom on earth. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.