#FirstWeekOfAdvent

[mcquadetx]

December 4, 2023 Monday of the First Week of Advent

Matthew 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.” In today's Gospel, a Roman centurion approaches Jesus and tells him that his servant is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly. He admits that he is not worthy to have Jesus enter his home, but he believes that if Jesus simply says the word, his servant will be healed. To an outsider, this request may seem impossible, as the centurion is asking for a remote healing with just a word. However, the centurion has faith and trusts that Jesus can perform this miracle. Søren Kierkegaard once defined faith as "a passion for the impossible." This does not mean that God is opposed to reason or that he wants us to be unrealistic. Rather, he wants us to use our powers of imagination and analysis while also having faith in what reason cannot see. The centurion's faith was so strong that Jesus praised him, saying, "I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel."

(1) Christopher McQuade on X: "December 4, 2023 Monday of the First Week of Advent Matthew 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…" / X (twitter.com)

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

#FirstWeekOfAdvent:

Songs of Advent That Aren't Technically Songs of Advent: #HopeToCarryOn #SeasonOfHope

[timthurman]

#firstweekofadvent #hope #christmas (at Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Clq0FcBSLGJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[villa-anj]

On this first week of Advent I have this song lyric running through my head. "Tell me where your heart is. Tell me where you keep it. Tell me where it stays." 2020 has been heavy, its been scary, its been revolutionary. And it has been revealing all forms of hope. Hope for the actual betterment of humanity, the hope of a new US government, the hope of being able to hug and physically socialize with everyone. HOPE. Where does it live...in our hearts. But more importantly this 2020 advent, we are being asked to live in our hope- to see it become a reality. Blessings, hope, and peace to you all. #advent #firstweekofadvent #2020 #inthetimeofcorona #whereitstays #hope #love https://www.instagram.com/p/CIOtyLUAL4Ie5YsJrvRa1qxN9u55f9FaMN0S900/?igshid=14eaefjkiow00

[windowinthesky88]

First day of #december but it is also the #firstsundayofadvent the Church starts a new #liturgicalyear so I like to think of it as a Catholic New Year. #happyadvent everyone! #advent2019 #firstweekofadvent https://www.instagram.com/p/B5iYrvPlYkc/?igshid=1ta4is5b5qmb4

[itsabeautifullife93]

Love sent hope through Emmanuel into the world, and intended that, learning from Emmanuel, we may partake and share of that glorious hope. #advent #firstweekofadvent #hope #adventwreath

[islandgirlgetsfitblog]

My heart is a little bit heavy & sad during those days in my life I look to God and put my TRUST in him. I won't give up for I know #myGod can change everything in a moment notice. I Have faith. God is a GREAT #advent #firstweekofadvent #godisworkingonitforme🙏🏽💎

[asthegirlturns]

Thank you, Candice! We have only known each other a short while, and you already nailed three of my favorite things in one gift--such a perceptive woman. This will taste even more awesome with a dirty addition! 😉 #firstweekofadvent #montrosechurch #lifegroup #tistheseason #christmastimeishere #christmasgifts (at Atwater Village, Los Angeles)

[gatopusacat]

November 27 #BirthdayMass #FirstWeekOfAdvent #RequiredSelfieAfterMass #MassWithFamily #BlessedMing (at Shrine Of Our Lady Of Grace, 11th Ave. Grace Park, Caloocan City)

[julie-esco-blog]

....November 27, 2016: Happy Advent!! "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone." -Thomas Merton. Thank you @blessedisshe__ for this beautiful image! Praying for y'all!!! 💜 326|366 #happyadvent #blessedisshe #beauty #waiting #jesuschrist #comeohcome #firstweekofadvent #happysunday #praying #catholic

[asthegirlturns]

Enjoying ringing in the Season with The Elizabeth House alumni and staff. I even got a hug from Santa! #alliwantforchristmas #firstweekofadvent #elizabethhousealumni #holidaycheer #tistheseason #elizabethhouse @elizabeth_house (at Pasadena Covenant Church)

[asthegirlturns]

[ADVENT Week 1] "Advent: the time to listen for footsteps -- you can't hear footsteps when you're running yourself." -- Bill McKibben This first week of Advent has been about winding down and tuning in: to matters of the heart, which was the theme of my Yoga classes this week, complete with a visual tool thanks to Pastor Dave; to enjoying crunching in Fall leaves that now populate our backyard; to discovering my word as we delved into The Word with Pastor Cyndi;,to sweet gifts from two dear women who have supported, prayed, and cared for me this year. I am enjoying one of those gifts (freshly roasted and ground Brazilian Finca) as part of a crisp morning where I get to stay in my pajamas for a bit, cuddle with my fur babies, and fine tune my body, ears, and soul before boarding a jet plane to the South to finish the last module of my 300-hour advanced Yoga teacher training. Thankful for the first week of Advent gifts that I will take with me, and what the footsteps will bring in Advent Week 2. #yogalife #layogiinthesouth #300hourteachertraining #instacollage #christmastimeishere #christmasgifts #advent #montrosewomen #montrosechurch #findingtheword #firstweekofadvent #mcheartofchristmas (at Atwater Village, Los Angeles)

[asthegirlturns]

[DAY 30] "The lack of mystery in our modern life is our downfall and our poverty. A human life is worth as much as the respect it holds for the mystery. We retain the child in us to the extent that we honor the mystery. Therefore, children have open, wide-awake eyes, because they know that they are surrounded by the mystery. They are not yet finished with this world; they still don’t know how to struggle along and avoid the mystery, as we do. We destroy the mystery because we sense that here we reach the boundary of our being, because we want to be lord over everything and have it at our disposal, and that’s just what we cannot do with the mystery…. Living without mystery means knowing nothing of the mystery of our own life, nothing of the mystery of another person, nothing of the mystery of the world; it means passing over our own hidden qualities and those of others and the world. It means remaining on the surface, taking the world seriously only to the extent that it can be calculated and exploited, and not going beyond the world of calculation and exploitation. Living without mystery means not seeing the crucial processes of life at all and even denying them." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas It is the wonder of the mystery that keeps me coming back to the manger; it is the Christ-child, the pageantry surrounding his entrance, and the power of promise fulfilled in an unexpected package, that stirs my joy and wonder. I am thankful for the season of Advent's power to stir my soul, recalibrate my direction, and give me fresh reason to magnify the Lord. #attittudeofgratitude #thanksgiving #thanks #grateful #firstweekofadvent #advent (at Atwater Village, Los Angeles)