5 December, 2023 | Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

 Gospel Lk 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,

"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

No one knows who the Son is except the Father,

and who the Father is except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said,

"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

For I say to you,

many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

Reflections: 

We normally admire people who are wise and educated because they can form opinion, express opinion, take a stand for themselves and influence others. But in the Gospel today, Jesus seems to have a different opinion. He said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants. . . .” What was it that the Father was hiding from the wise and learned? The answer lies in the next sentence, that he is the “Son of the Father”. The scribes and the Pharisees, the learned ones, cannot accept that Jesus is the Son of God. While his disciples, the simple village men and women, believed in him. Advent is a time we are reminded to be childlike in our faith and to be open to understand and feel the presence of God in our midst, and in particular, the mystery of the Incarnation. We pray that with the Lord we shall share, “the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness” (Is 11:2).

Activity: 

Let us spend some time during the day to pray for a humble childlike heart and an open mind to see God’s presence in our lives.