Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Monday of the First Week of Advent

LECTIONARY
175

FIRST READING

IS 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.

PSALM

PS 122:1-2, 3-4B, 4CD-5, 6-7, 8-9

Response: 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.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes 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.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

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.

GOSPEL

MT 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."

Daily Reflection

The Gospel of today unfolds the narrative of the Centurion who approaches Jesus to seek healing for his servant.

It was the time of the Roman occupation and the Centurion was an office bearer of the Roman army, the oppressors of the people, yet Jesus does not hesitate. He responds with compassion and mercy, stating his willingness to visit the dwelling and meet the boy. Then the Centurion replies with those timeless words, ‘I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give the word and my boy will be healed.’ The Gospel tells us that Jesus is ‘astonished’ by this man’s faith – a faith that Jesus wishes us to emulate.

Today’s Gospel is also an invitation to respond, with similar compassion, to people we come in contact with, no matter who they may be. We must continue to share and spread Jesus' love in our homes, in solidarity with the poor, in advocacy for those who have no voice, in our ethical behaviour at work, in society and wherever we are called to be present.