Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection December 01, 2025
Monday – First Week of Advent
01st December 2025 (Monday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Isaiah 4:2-6
In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9 (R. see 1)
R/. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Come to save us, Lord our God, let your face shine on us, and we shall be saved
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Luke 21:34-36
At that time: When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
Daily Gospel Reflection
Monday – First Week of Advent
Main Point: True faith is nothing but a humble surrender. On one hand, it acknowledges the limitations of oneself and on the other hand, it recognises the unsurpassed greatness of God
1. The faith of the centurion in the gospel is so emblematic. That is why it receives high appreciation from Jesus. Jesus marvelled at his faith and acclaims his faith in public, saying, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
2. Now, what is the speciality of his faith that stands higher than the faith of even the chosen people of Israel? First of all, it comes from a deep trust in Jesus’ power. This trust is so deep that he believes that even from distance with a mere word, Jesus can heal his paralysed servant at home.
3. His faith is praiseworthy because it is humble. He readily admits that the power of Jesus is far beyond his own authority. It is indeed a dignified humility because it does not arise from low self-esteem or inferiority complex or self-despisal. He is fully aware that by virtue of his office as a centurion, he too possesses the authority to command and extract obedience from his servants.
4. But his authority is limited because it is confined only to the secular domain. In contrast, Jesus’ authority is divine and spiritual. It has no confines. It has power and control even over non-human forces like sickness. It can heal even beyond space, from distance, just with a word.
5. This double awareness of the contrasting authorities of him and Jesus leads him to a profound utterances of humility. He confesses, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only the word and my servant will be healed.”
6. That is why this faith-confession became exemplary as a humble confession before the reception of the holy Eucharist. The hyperbolic and exclusive praise of Jesus, stating, “with no one in Israel have I found such a faith,” is quite provocative as well. There is a provocation and challenge to the faith of Israel that faith is not their prerogative.
My Practice: Faith is a matter of interior obedience and not merely exterior allegiance to a religion. It is a matter of surrender and not an inherited claim for favours
