REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT 11TH DECEMBER 2023

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REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT 11TH DECEMBER 2023

Isaiah 35:1-10; Ps.85; Luke 5:17-26

*Have God-fearing Friends*
In the gospel reading of today, four friends showed resilient spirit as they struggled against all odds to bring their crippled friend to Jesus. Clearly, this was faith at work. The determination of the four friends cannot have been unaccompanied by the determination of the crippled man himself; if not he would not have allowed the friends to carry him up and down in search of Jesus for healing.

Again, the five of them believed that Jesus is able to heal the paralyzed man; they not only believed, they clearly had no other option but Jesus. However, what is most interesting is that these friends had the willingness and interest to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus.

Today, advent is giving us an opportunity to access the kind of friends we have. What do our friends influence us to do? To sin against God or to draw closer to God? What exactly do we do when we are with our friends? No one is really inimical to peer influence. Therefore, our desire to draw closer to God should be our guiding principle in choosing friends.

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