Reading 1
Is 35:1-10
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water;
The abode where jackals lurk
will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.
A highway will be there,
called the holy way;
No one unclean may pass over it,
nor fools go astray on it.
No lion will be there,
nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it.
It is for those with a journey to make,
and on it the redeemed will walk.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
They will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
Gospel
Lk 5:17-26
One day as Jesus was teaching,
Pharisees and teachers of the law,
who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem,
were sitting there,
and the power of the Lord was with him for healing.
And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed;
they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence.
But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd,
they went up on the roof
and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles
into the middle in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said,
“As for you, your sins are forgiven.”
Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves,
“Who is this who speaks blasphemies?
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply,
“What are you thinking in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he said to the one who was paralyzed,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He stood up immediately before them,
picked up what he had been lying on,
and went home, glorifying God.
Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God,
and, struck with awe, they said,
“We have seen incredible things today.”
Meditation: Isaiah 35:1-10
Be strong, fear not! Here is your God. (Isaiah 35:4)
Father, how wondrous is your love! You promised a Savior, and you sent your own Son, Immanuel, God-With-Us! On Christmas Day, you cried out: “Fear not! Here is your God,” and the world was forever changed. The gates of heaven are now opened, and you have made a way for us to live with you.
All praise to you, Lord Jesus, for coming to walk among us and showing us your Father’s love and mercy. We know that you are the fulfillment of every promise the Father has spoken. We lift our voices to proclaim that you are our Redeemer. We lift our hearts to you as well and ask you to mold us after your own image and likeness.
Jesus, even as we recall your coming among us as a child, we anticipate the day when you will come back to us as a glorious king. On that day, we will be enveloped in your embrace. We will be with you for eternity. Our eyes will be opened, enabling us to see your beauty. Our ears, once deaf, will be cleared, so that we can hear your voice and finally know how deeply you delight in us. In your kingdom, we will sing your praises in freedom and peace. Your joy will surround us and fill us, causing us to “leap like a stag” (Isaiah 35:6). Every desert area in our lives will be flooded with your grace, making it fertile and fruitful.
On that day, rushing, refreshing waters will fill the dry places of loneliness and confusion in our hearts. Your joy will well up inside us so much that we won’t be able to contain it. Every tear will be wiped away, and all sorrow and mourning will flee. No distress or struggle of any kind will ever be able to touch us again.
Lord, until that day, help us to lift our feeble hands and strengthen our weak knees. Give us the courage and confidence we need to follow you on the road to heaven.
“Jesus, may your kingdom come! As we see you at work in our lives, it makes us hunger for the day when you will gather us to yourself. What a joy it will be to see you face-to-face! We cry out to you in hope and anticipation. Come, Lord Jesus!”
No comments:
Post a Comment