Worry is a solo parent’s constant companion. Childhood illnesses. Funds that struggle to reach the next payday. House emergencies like part of our roof flying off in a storm. Confounding car problems. And a thousand and one other things. 

Over the years, God recalibrated my worry meter by showing me He is always there when I call. Of course, I always remind Him it wouldn’t have been so hard if He hadn’t taken my husband so early. (I’m bratty that way.) It’s a good thing He has a sense of humor and ever ready with His saving graces. 

Healing. Financial windfalls in the nick of time. People to help with the house, the car, and a myriad of solo mom troubles. 

One of the things that helped me to transform from that clueless young widow to a HIP (Hero Independent Parent, as a solo parent of The Feast Alabang is called) is the faith that God only has to say the word and my troubles will pass.

That trust is needed from me because as Saint Augustine said: “God, who created you without you, will not save you without you.” Lella M. Santiago (lellams88@gmail.com)

Reflect:

Think of all the times when all you needed to do to solve a problem was to surrender it to God.

Lord Jesus, let my trust in You overwhelm my worries into oblivion.

Saint Eusebius, pray for us. 

At the beginning of Advent, this reading signifies one of the main foci of the Church’s reflection: the peace that the Messiah will bring. The peace from our faith in Jesus is powerful. It is the basis of our path to reconciliation, both with God and one another. Let us make this a time to reconcile our differences with our family and friends.

¹ This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. ² In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; ³ many peoples shall come and say “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ⁴ He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. ⁵ O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord! 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

¹ I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the Lord.” ² And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R) ³ Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. ⁴ To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. (R) According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. ⁵ In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. (R) ⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! ⁷ May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. (R) ⁸ Because of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you!” ⁹ Because of the house of the Lord, our God, I will pray for your good. (R)

Gospel | Matthew 8:5-11

We are not worthy, nor can we become worthy out of our own ability, to have Jesus dwell in our hearts. He chooses to dwell in us as proof of God’s love. He leads us to the truth of our human potential. This is primarily an opportunity for love—not just to receive it, but to give it away in imitation of God who offers us His love.

Gospel Acclamation

Come and save us, Lord our God; let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

⁵ When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, ⁶ saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” ⁷ He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” ⁸ Thecenturion 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. ⁹ 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.” ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read GALATIANS 1 - 3 today.

I saw this post many years ago with a prompt not to be quick in judging others. Let me share only three scenarios: The pregnant girl you saw on the street—whom you thought flirted quite young—is actually a rape victim. That classmate of yours who misses class often and whom you have called lazy is actually struggling to earn money for his daily fare going to school. The lady with whom you haggle at the market for a kilo of vegetables and whom you call stingy actually walks twelve kilometres daily to the market just to be able to work decently.   

The story in today’s Gospel passage concerns the centurion who begged Jesus for the healing of his slave. For a Palestinian at the time of Jesus, any Roman soldier, in general, had a bad reputation. The centurion in the Gospel is different. He does not appear in a bad light. In fact, he is portrayed as kind and caring of his slave by seeking out Jesus for his healing.   

Moreover, the centurion was also deemed considerate and respectful of Jesus’ beliefs as the former knew that the moment He, as a Jew, entered his house—the house of a Gentile—He would become unclean. Thus, when Jesus offered to go to his house, he insistently said that it would not be necessary.   

Likewise, this Roman military head knew in faith that Jesus need not come. Jesus only had to say a word and his slave would be healed. In turn, Jesus Himself praised the faith of this man, saying, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith” (Matthew 8:10).   

Along with other non-Jewish Gospel characters, such as the Samaritan woman, the Good Samaritan, et al., he is a good example of how wrong we can be at times in generalizing, in making assumptions about certain kinds or classes of people. 

As followers of Jesus, may we suspend our judgment about others, and be more like Christ who welcomes, accommodates, and listens to everyone. Fr. Rick Montañez, AA

Reflection Question:

Are you quick to judge others? 

Lord, I pray for a welcoming heart that respects and accepts all my brothers and sisters, seeing them as equally precious in Your sight. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _____________________________________