Homily for Monday of the 1st Week of Advent

When we get sick, our joints ache, our heads throb, and our stomachs feel unsettled. Yet, we usually understand that this discomfort is just a temporary phase as we wait for a cold or flu to pass. We know that in time, we will feel better.

However, there are times when waiting becomes uncertain and worrisome. We may not know how our suffering will end, and we might fear what our symptoms could mean. We find ourselves waiting for lab results, for medications to take effect, for surgeries to be completed, and for cures to be discovered.

Sometimes, we find ourselves waiting… for God.

Advent is a season of waiting for healing, transformation, and the arrival of God in the person of Jesus. In today’s Gospel, the centurion embodies the essence of this Advent waiting. He has cared for his servant and now awaits a cure. His faith allows him to wait with hope, trusting that God will act through Jesus. With a beautiful blend of dignity and humility, he simply asks Jesus to speak a word of healing.

This Advent season invites us to hope that our waiting and longing for healing, peace, and salvation will be fulfilled.