"Many will sit at table in the kingdom of God" 1st week of Advent

Gospel Reading: Matthew 8:5-11 - As he entered Caper'naum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes, and to another, `Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, `Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 4:2-6: In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, every one who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy and a pavilion. It will be for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

Meditation: Are you ready to feast at the Lord's banquet table? God’s gracious invitation extends to all – Jew and Gentile alike – who will turn to him with faith and obedience. Jesus used many images or pictures to convey what the kingdom of God is like. One such image is a great banquets feast given at the King's table. Jesus promised that everyone who believed in him would come and feast at the heavenly banquet table of his Father. Jesus told this parable in response to the dramatic request made by a Roman centurion, a person despised by many because he was an outsider, not one of the "chosen ones" of Israel. In Jesus' time the Jews hated the Romans because they represented everything they stood against – including foreign domination and  pagan beliefs and practices.

Why did Jesus not only warmly receive a Roman centurion but praise him as a model of faith and confidence in God? In the Roman world the position of centurion was very important. He was an officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone of the Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient write, describes what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts." The centurion who approached Jesus was not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his cronies as well as mockery from the Jews by seeking help from an itinerant preacher from Galilee. Nonetheless, the centurion approached Jesus with great confidence and humility. He was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman world slaves were treated like animals – something to be used for work and pleasure and for bartering and trade. This centurion was a man of great compassion and extraordinary faith. He wanted Jesus to heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants him his request. Are you willing to suffer ridicule in the practice of your faith? And when you need help, do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith?

The prophet Isaiah foretold a time of restoration for the holy city Jerusalem and for its remnants (see Isaiah 4:2-6) and also a time of universal peace when all nations would come to Jerusalem to "the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob" and "beat their swords into plowshares" (Isaiah 2:2-4). Jesus fulfills this prophecy first by restoring both Jew and Gentile to fellowship with God through the victory he won for us on the cross. When he comes again he will fully establish his universal rule of peace and righteousness and unite all things in himself (Ephesians 1:10). His promise extends to all generations who believe in him that we, too, might feast at the heavenly banquet table with the patriarchs of the Old Covenant who believed but did not see the promised Messiah.

 

Refection: Do you believe in God's promises and do you seek his kingdom first in your life? The season of Advent reminds us that the Lord wants us to actively seek him and the coming of his kingdom in our lives. The Lord will surely reward those who seek his will for their lives. We can approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith, like the centurion in today's gospel reading, knowing that he will show us his mercy and give us his help?

Prayer: "Lord Jesus, you feed us daily with your life-giving word and you sustain us on our journey to our true homeland with you and the Father in heaven.  May I never lose hope in your promises nor lag in zeal for your kingdom of righteousness and peace." Amen.

 

Peace and all good,

Brother Ed, OFM

 

DECEMBER 2013: PAY ATTENTION THIS MONTH...

...to your feet! Huh? This wise advice came to me secondhand recently, reported by a friend whose client declared his new watchword to be, Know where your feet are. While this is good advice for football players trying for a first down, it's also the best counsel for a sane and even joyful path through the holiday season. Thinking back over this year, I realized that my every literal or metaphorical stumble has resulted from my mind being ahead of my feet or even completely detached from my feet. Our feet can only move just so fast. They relay us vital information about exactly where we are. Try this: Between now and January 1, make a practice of not getting ahead of your feet. http://stagathas.org/blog/Adventurers-with-the-Lord/THE-NEW-JERUSALEM-2 The link above is from Billy Edwards - good stuff!!! It's from Fr. Bill Axe, OSST Parish Priest Fr. Bill Axe, OSST: (323) 935-8127 ext. 223 - After Hours (323) 398-6964 wx007@aol.com _____________________________________________________________________________ Announcements:   Tau House community meeting will be Sunday, December 22, 2013 at 5:00 P.M. at  the Who Dat Coffee Café 2401 Burgundy St, New Orleans, LA 70117 In the Marigny. (504) 872-0360 - we will meet in the back area of the coffee house. (This place is not set in stone - but for the time being we will say this is the place hat could work very well). We will meet in the back room for fellowship and prayer. ______________________________________________________________________________ Reflections on Advent by Father Paul Gallagher, OFM John 1:6-8, 19-28   6. A man named John was sent from God. 7. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. 19. And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites (to him) to ask him, "Who are you?" 20. he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Messiah." 21. So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." 22. So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: 23, "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as Isaiah the prophet said." 24. Some Pharisees were also sent. 25. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" 26. John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, 27 the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." 28. This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.   Background: John’s father, Zechariah, was a highly respected rural priest. In a society where a person’s role and status in the community is largely based on one’s family, John is acting out of character. He should be acting like a respectable member of a priestly family. However, his behavior is that of a disgruntled priest who became separated from the aristocratic priests of Jerusalem. The wealth and behavior of the aristocratic priests alienated them from some of the rural priests. John’s appearance and way of life seemed more like the typical prophet, seeking to speak God’s will.   The priests and Pharisees have come to John to discover who he is. Who is this person, out in the desert, calling people to repentance and baptizing? He tells them that he is not the Messiah, Elijah or even a prophet. At this time there was no clear understanding of who the Messiah might be or even what kind of role the Messiah would play. The term “messiah” means anointed one. In the Israelite history they have anointed people for a variety of reasons. Kings, priests and some prophets had been anointed. There were those among his followers, and the people, who believed that the Baptist was the Messiah. Nevertheless, John denies that he is the Messiah no matter how one understands that term. He does say that there is one among them so great that he (John) is not worthy of being his servant.   Reflection Questions:   1. Are there people in your family or among your acquaintances who confuse you? How do you deal with them?   2. Why would anyone, especially respectable religious leaders, travel out to the desert to ask John who he was?   3. If a person were sent by God to your hometown to be a spokesperson for God today, where do you think you would find him/her? How would you be able to identify him/her as a person of God?   4. Are you looking for a person who might be a spokesperson of God for our world, our church, your community or even your personal life at this point in your life? Why or why not?   5. Who are the people in your life, in the church, in the world who speak with the mind and heart of God?   6. Who are the people who have been most effective in helping you to reflect on your own life and find meaning (or the presence of God) there?   Reflection questions are written by Fr. Paul Gallagher, OFM They are edited by Sister Anne Marie Lom, OSF To be added to the distribution list send your name and email address to fr.paul.gallagher.ofm@gmail.com