COLLECT: “STIR UP YOUR POWER, WE PRAY, O LORD, AND COME, THAT WITH YOU TO PROTECT US, WE MAY FIND RESCUE FROM THE PRESSING DANGERS OF OUR SINS, AND WITH YOU TO SET US FREE, WE MAY BE FOUND WORTHY OF SALVATION. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH GOD THE FATHER IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Is 29:17-24; Ps 26:1,4,13-14 and Mt 9:27-31.
In Is 61:1-2, we read that the Messiah, the Anointed one will be sent to bring Good News to the afflicted, to soothe the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, release to those in prison, to proclaim a year of favour from God and a day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn…”.
This is fulfilled in Luke 4:18-19, when Jesus reads the scroll in the synagogue, rolls it, gives it to the synagogue attendant and tells the people that what he reads is fulfilled in him.
This is also fulfilled in today’s scriptures. At the dawn of the Messiah, the world described in the passage of Isaiah would be different from the one we know and live in today. There will be no more violence or gloom, but joy, understanding, justice and praise of God. “Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard… The deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lonely will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel….” (Isaiah 29:17ff).
The same message is portrayed in the Gospel. Jesus gave or restored sight to two blind men, who, despite a stern warning given to them by Jesus not to let this be known to anyone, ‘the two cured/healed blind men went out and spread word of Jesus their Saviour throughout all the land’.
What favours have you received from the Lord that you do not want to proclaim and talk about as a sign of appreciation and gratitude? Or have you given gratitude and appreciation to something or someone else/who does not deserve it?
Indeed, in Jesus, we find solutions to our lifelong challenges or problems. These life-long challenges might not necessarily be physical deafness and dumbness, blindness, poverty, imprisonment, broken-heartedness and captivity, etc.
We have lots of people who are going through spiritual, psychological and emotional deafness and dumbness, blindness, poverty, imprisonment, captivity, etc. These non-physical human impediments are even worse than the physical ones in the sense that the physical ones can easily be treated or cured, but not the non-physical ones. Jesus, however, can take care of these.
Therefore, what psychological, emotional or spiritual impediments are you going through in life? Why do you not come to Jesus in trust, faith and in humility during this special grace-filled season of Advent to handle that for you? He can certainly do it better for you, far more than you can think that he will do for you. Stay blessed.
MEDITATE TODAY, FRIDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “REPLENISHED BY THE FOOD OF SPIRITTUAL NOURISHMENT, WE HUMBLY BESEECH YOU, O LORD, THAT, THROUGH OUR PARTAKING IN THIS MYSTERY, YOU MAY TEACH US TO JUDGE WISELY THE THINGS OF EARTH AND HOLD FIRM TO THE THINGS OF HEAVEN. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius WE Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!