Word to the Wise
Monday, December 7, 2015 - 2nd Week of Advent - Mon
[Isa 35:1-10 and Luke 5:17-26]MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 ST. AMBROSE, bishop and doctor of the church [Isaiah 35:1-10 and Luke 5:17-26] "Then will be 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." [Isaiah] The quote is from Isaiah, but the dramatic action is in today's gospel. When friends care enough to bring a paralyzed person to Jesus and go to the extreme of tearing off the roof to get him into the room, we are dealing with a serious and dramatic faith. Indeed, before saying anything to the paralyzed man, Jesus sees THEIR faith. The paralyzed man can't act on his own behalf. Nor did he talk them into doing this. We aren't told anything about his faith. In my years of campus ministry, I encountered more than one student who was inspired by the faith of his or her fellow students to allow the Spirit to work a change in his or her life. This would often happen when a student or group of students would be going to church or an activity at the Catholic student center and would invite a person of no faith or one who was "paralyzed" in their own faith to come along. I have been speaking of an "intentional Advent." Could any of us personally or as a community (there was more than one stretcher bearer!) reach out to someone and bring him or her to Jesus? It could be something as simple as inviting a friend to join your family for Christmas Mass or dinner and letting them see what your faith means. We are all "stretcher bearers" for the Church which Pope Francis describes as a "field hospital." AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
81 ms
4
