Sunday, December 4, 2016
2nd Sunday of Advent
TWO PURPLE CANDLE
We light these candles because, like God’s people centuries ago, we need a Savior who will forgive our sins and restore our hearts.
Opening prayer
God of mercy and compassion,
in your Son Jesus Christ
you have revealed yourself
as a God of people.
Turn our empty hearts to you,
give us eyes to see the depth of our poverty
and our inability to build a better world
with our own resources,
and then come and build it with us
through your Son and our Savior
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Gospel reading – Matthew 9,35 – 10,1.5-8
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to his harvest.’
He summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Do not make your way to gentile territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from virulent skin-diseases, drive out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.
Reflection
The Gospel today has two parts: (a) A brief summary of the apostolic activity of Jesus (Mt 9, 35-38) and (b) The beginning of the “Sermon of the Mission” (Mt 10, 1.5-8). The Gospel of today’s Liturgy omits the names of the Apostles which are found in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 10, 2-4).
Jesus is shown constantly on the move, teaching in synagogues all over the region, proclaiming the Good News of God’s reign coming among them and bringing healing to all who are sick and diseased. Jesus informs His disciples that there is a huge harvest ready and waiting to be reaped. The harvest is still great and the need for laborers is as great as the harvest.
In asking the Lord to send laborers into the harvest, we NEED to ask ourselves this question, “What is my role in this reading?” This question is not just for the Bishops, the Overseers, the Pastors, The Elders, the Ministers, the Deacon/Deaconess. This is a question for us all. After all, Jesus was not talking to the cleric—He was addressing His followers – to every one of us who has been baptized. As Pope Francis calls us, “Missionary Disciples.”
As Missionary disciples, we don’t just sit around and watch others do the work. No! We are to get our hands dirty! Just like we are waiting for the Coming of the Lord. We are not to sit around and JUST wait. We are to be busy working in the Vineyard UNTIL He comes.
Personal questions
- We all receive the same mission given by Jesus to the disciples. Are you conscious, aware of this mission? How do you live your mission?
- In your life, have you had any contact with the lost sheep, with people who are tired and exhausted? What lesson did you draw out of this?
