Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Intention: That the start of this Advent will herald for us a time of prayer and renewal as once again God’s saving grace is born in our hearts for the sake of our own redemption and that of our world.
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 Gospel picture of suffering masses of people following Jesus shows us of what lack of dignity had done to them. It also shows us what it meant to restore that dignity, to reconnect them with the experience of a sacred love and care. By coming to them, by being willing to be with them, Jesus affirmed their value in God’s eyes. They mattered. Their lives had meaning. Today, we can take comfort in knowing that this is also true for us. A God who will be with us wherever and however we are is a God who sees himself in us and us in him. That was his word to us in Jesus’ birth. We are reconciled, one to the other, in the compassionate encounter that is Emmanuel – God with us – every day. The time of Advent is an invitation to enter more deeply and more purposefully into the meaning of these moments.
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.