Command Authority
November 28, Monday of the First Week of Advent
Sorry this one is so late. I really didn’t want to be unreliable so early in this project, but the day just got away from me.
Reading 1
Is 4:2-6
On that day, The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory, and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor for the survivors of Israel. He who remains in Zion and he who is left in Jerusalem Will be called holy: every one marked down for life in Jerusalem. When the LORD washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, And purges Jerusalem's blood from her midst with a blast of searing judgment, Then will the LORD create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, A smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, the LORD's glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.
Isaiah can be harsh, lots of fire and brimstone talk. In fact, the chapters before and after this are largely about punishment for sins.
Which is why scholars believe this chapter was actually a later addition. I find that odd to think about; the most recent books of the bible are 1,900 years old, and most are way older. But at one point, someone had to write it; at some point, every book of the Bible was half-done. There were revisions and re-write, and whole chapters inserted.
It’s also probably why this section is easy to pull out in the time of Advent. Like most of the Old Testament readings for the next four weeks, Isaiah is talking about Jesus coming again in glory. It’s not going to be great for everybody (“a blast of searing judgment”), but hopefully, if we prepare ourselves in this season, we’ll be ready.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
This is the same responsorial Psalm as yesterday! Is that normal? I’d probably know if I went to daily mass more often. You should, too. Not for pedantic reasons like this, but, you know, to spend time with God.
Alleluia
See Ps 80:4
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come and save us, LORD our God;
let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
“Hey, God, You don’t even have to do anything but look at us, and we’ll be saved. It’s not even a big deal to You, because You’re God.”
The worst problems in your life are simple for the Creator of the Universe.
Gospel
Mt 8:5-11
When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."
Most times, the first reading and the Gospel are related to each other. I really don’t see a connection here, though. The reading from Isaiah pertains to Advent; this seems to just be a miracle story. It something we reference in every mass, of course.1
What I find interesting about it, though, is the two different kinds of command and authority referred to here. The centurion says (I don’t think he’s bragging) that when he issues an order, it gets obeyed. He says the same would be true of Jesus.
It’s really not, however. The one he says “Go” to has to decide for himself, as a human being with a will of his own, whether he’ll actually go or not. Same with the other, and his slave, etc. He’s commanding people, who chose to obey.2
But when Jesus tells the servant to be healed, the servant has no choice in the matter. Neither does the disease. In fact, going back to the very beginning, existence only happens because God says so.
Jesus is the Word. Him saying it is what makes it so.
The centurion has faith that Jesus can command disease itself. Jesus is amazed (remember, He is True Man, as well as True God), because this soldier isn’t even an Israelite. Like most people reading this, he’s a Gentile, yet, because of his faith, he’ll recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.
We can hope, and pray, that we have such faith, too.
Personal note: this is obviously the source of the congregation’s response to the elevation of the host: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” It’s been twenty years, and I still say the old version half the time.
I also think of this meme at least once a month:
Being slaves and soldiers, they don’t have much of a choice, but still, it’s a choice.