STRANGE THINGS AND MORE TO COME
Monday in the 2nd Week of Advent
Lk 5:17-26
“We have seen strange things today.” This is how the Gospel today ends. While the scribes and the Pharisees saw that it was strange for Jesus to forgive sins, the rest of the people rather saw that it was strange that the paralytic was made whole again. But both the forgiving of sins and the healing from paralysis are not strange things for Jesus because His very same means, “God saves”.
“Our God will come to save us.” This is how the psalmist responded to the prophecy of Isaiah in the First Reading today. In Jesus the psalmist’s declaration found evidence. The coming of Jesus is God coming to save us. The Gospels show this.
As we prepare to commemorate the birth of Jesus, let us make it a part of our reflection the important task of examining how we have truly lived out the gift of salvation Jesus brought us by His Incarnation and Paschal Mystery. And because Advent is not only looking back to the day when Jesus was born in Bethlehem but also looking forward to the day of His final coming, let us give an account of the things we have done or not have done to make as many people as possible benefit from the saving presence of Jesus in our midst.
Jesus Himself is the powerful in-breaking of the Messianic era. When we strive to be more and more like Jesus, the Messianic era is more and more established in our midst. The more we become instruments of salvation from diseases of body and soul, the more we become like Jesus. In us and through us, the world will continue to see strange things as God continues to come to save the world.
Strange things – seen and heard. And more strange things to come!
Lk 5:17-26
“We have seen strange things today.” This is how the Gospel today ends. While the scribes and the Pharisees saw that it was strange for Jesus to forgive sins, the rest of the people rather saw that it was strange that the paralytic was made whole again. But both the forgiving of sins and the healing from paralysis are not strange things for Jesus because His very same means, “God saves”.
“Our God will come to save us.” This is how the psalmist responded to the prophecy of Isaiah in the First Reading today. In Jesus the psalmist’s declaration found evidence. The coming of Jesus is God coming to save us. The Gospels show this.
As we prepare to commemorate the birth of Jesus, let us make it a part of our reflection the important task of examining how we have truly lived out the gift of salvation Jesus brought us by His Incarnation and Paschal Mystery. And because Advent is not only looking back to the day when Jesus was born in Bethlehem but also looking forward to the day of His final coming, let us give an account of the things we have done or not have done to make as many people as possible benefit from the saving presence of Jesus in our midst.
Jesus Himself is the powerful in-breaking of the Messianic era. When we strive to be more and more like Jesus, the Messianic era is more and more established in our midst. The more we become instruments of salvation from diseases of body and soul, the more we become like Jesus. In us and through us, the world will continue to see strange things as God continues to come to save the world.
Strange things – seen and heard. And more strange things to come!
posted by Fr. Bobby @ 4:00 PM
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