05 Dec 2011, Monday of the Second Week of Advent

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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 85:9ab And 10, 11-12, 13-14

R. (Isaiah 35:4f) Our God will come to save us!
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD --for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Our God will come to save us!
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Our God will come to save us!
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. Our God will come to save us!

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

“A highway will be there, called the holy way.” (Isaiah 35:8)

Wouldn’t you love to live in a city where you could get on the high­way without worrying about any traffic, any road rage, or any acci­dents? Well, there is good news for you! In today’s first reading, Isaiah gives us a glorious vision of a high­way, called the “holy way,” that has been cleared of all obstacles or dis­ruptions. This heavenly road was cleared for us two thousand years ago when God sent his only Son to dwell among us.

Jesus cleared the way and paved a path for us that is filled with abun­dance, gladness, and joy. He has removed every obstacle that could hinder us from receiving God’s love. Not only did he destroy the sting of death, he removed the chains of sin that hold us back. And not only did Jesus make a way for us, he made the destination so much clearer. He showed us heaven as our true in­heritance. He showed us, too, that we don’t have to wait until we die to experience heaven. Every step along the way to heaven can become heaven as well!

During this season of Advent, Jesus invites us to fix our eyes on him. He is watching over every step we take, protecting and guiding us. The road may feel too hard or too long at times. We may feel unworthy of God’s love or protection. Or the memory of past hurts or disappoint­ments may lead us to doubt God’s presence in our lives. But we should never let these thoughts divert our gaze from the Lord. Acts of faith— even stubborn faith that seems to defy logic—can help keep us mov­ing forward on the road.

What should we place our faith in? First and foremost, that Jesus is always with us and that he al­ways loves us. And after that, we can place our faith in his promise to re­deem everyone who calls on him. Just one step forward in faith will lead to another. And then another. And then another. And with each step, we will feel more and more of his love in our hearts!

“Lord, help me to keep my eyes fixed on you this Advent. I want to keep walking on the path—the holy way—that you have set before me.”