Daily Thought For December 4, 2017
Our Holy Longing Will Be Fulfilled
Matthew 8:5–11
Meditatio
“I will come …”
In the movie August Rush, the eleven-year-old orphan Evan Taylor hopes to be reunited with his birth parents, whom he has never known. His parents, Lyla and Louis, fall in love but are separated. Lyla has a child, but her father gives the child up for adoption without Lyla’s knowledge. With the vision possible only to the human heart, Evan clings to the hope he will one day be reunited with his parents. Evan can be for us an icon of Advent hope. He longs to know he is not alone, to know that he is loved.
During Advent, we also long for the coming of the awaited Messiah—in Bethlehem, at the end of time, and in each human heart, including our own. Like Evan, we also cry out: “Come!”
Similarly, the centurion in today’s Gospel pleads with Jesus to heal a sick servant. The centurion trusts Jesus so much that he believes Jesus’ word has power to bring relief and healing. Situations of pain or paralysis in our own lives can open us up to cry out for healing. This desire prompts us to reach out to those we trust: a spouse, a close friend or relative, a parent, mentor, spiritual guide, God. Sometimes a simple word or gesture from someone significant reassures us that we are not alone. How powerful are the words: “I’ll be right there,” or, “I am with you.”
Ponder for a moment the first three words of Jesus’ response to the centurion’s request: “I will come …” Every time we call out to him, our loving God says the same thing: “I will come.” Jesus manifests his desire to come and be with us not just at certain moments, but all the time. Just as Evan Taylor’s hopeful expectation for reunion is finally fulfilled, our longing for God’s presence will also be fulfilled. The Lord reassures us: “I am with you always …” (Mt 28:20).
Oratio
Lord, come anew into this heart made by you, hungry for you. Come into my heart, my mind, my life, my entire being, body and soul. Heal what is broken in me; give life to what is paralyzed within me. I believe you can do all things, and that you want to come and heal. Like the centurion, who asked for healing for his servant, I also ask you to bless and heal those for whom I pray today, especially for: (pause to mention names).
Come, Emmanuel, God with us.
Contemplatio
“Come, O Lord. Do not delay.”
Daughters of Saint Paul. (2009). Advent Grace: Daily Gospel Reflections (pp. 12–13). Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media.