Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
Lectionary: 177
Reading 1
Isaiah 25:6-10a
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 15:29-37
At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way."
The disciples said to him,
"Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?"
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"
"Seven," they replied, "and a few fish."
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
A Miracle of Superabundance!
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full. Matthew 15:36–37
This line concludes the second miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes as told by Matthew. In this miracle, seven loaves and a few fish were multiplied to feed 4,000 men, not counting the women and children. And once everyone ate and was satisfied, seven full baskets remained.
It’s hard to underestimate the effect that this miracle had on those who were actually there. Perhaps many did not even know where the food came from. They just saw the baskets being passed, they took their fill, and passed the rest on to others. Though there are many important lessons we can take from this miracle, let’s consider one of them.
Recall that the crowds had been with Jesus for three days without food. They were amazed at Him as He taught and continually healed the sick in their presence. They were so amazed, in fact, that they showed no sign of leaving Him, despite the obvious hunger they must have been experiencing. This is a wonderful image of what we must seek to have in our interior life.
What is it that “amazes” you in life? What is it that you can do hour after hour without losing your attention? For these first disciples, it was the discovery of the very Person of Jesus that had this effect upon them. How about you? Have you ever found that the discovery of Jesus in prayer, or in the reading of Scripture, or through the witness of another, was so compelling that you became engrossed in His presence? Have you ever become so engrossed in our Lord that you thought of little else?
In Heaven, our eternity will be spent in a perpetual adoration and “amazement” of the glory of God. And we will never tire of being with Him, in awe of Him. But too often on Earth, we lose sight of the miraculous action of God in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Too often, instead, we become engrossed in sin, the effects of sin, hurt, scandal, division, hatred and those things that lead to despair.
Reflect, today, upon these first disciples of Jesus. Ponder, especially, their wonder and awe as they stayed with Him for three days without food. This draw of our Lord must take hold of you and overwhelm you so much that Jesus is the one and only central focus of your life. And when He is, all else falls into place and our Lord provides for your many other needs.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
THANKSGIVING EVERY DAY
“All ate until they were full.” —Matthew 15:37
The Holy Eucharist appears basic and simple. It’s a food for those who are traveling light in order to escape slavery (Ex 12:11). The Eucharist is a small wafer of bread, not much larger than a potato chip. Yet it is rich and “juicy” (see Is 25:6ff). It “satisfies,” invigorates, revitalizes, fills, and enriches (see Mt 15:37). It is the food served at the heavenly wedding feast of the Lamb of God (Rv 19:9). It multiplies riches and graces.
In the USA, people gathered recently for rich Thanksgiving feasts. Yet the Eucharist, a word which literally means “thanksgiving,” is a far richer feast. It occurs every single day in the Holy Mass, and is far more abundant. The Eucharist is “life to the full” (see Jn 10:10).
Try to imagine eating a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast every single day! And yet the Eucharist is more than that. It is “the Source and Summit of the Christian life,” “the Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1324, 1374). Each day, we can gather at the table of God Almighty to receive this Bread from Heaven, the Bread of Life (Jn 6:31, 35). Therefore, rearrange your life so as to be able to receive the Eucharist as often as possible, even daily.
Prayer: Father, thank You forever for inviting me to share in Your family’s daily meal, the Holy Eucharist. May I desire to receive the Bread of Life as deeply as You desire to share it (Lk 22:15).
Promise: “The Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” —Is 25:6
Praise: St. Nicholas gave gifts that freed others from being trapped in sinful lifestyles and brought them closer to Christ.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
What strikes us most in the miracle of the Multiplication of Bread is the concern and compassion Jesus has for the crowd. It is a concern that shows itself in concrete action. The abundance of the left-over, even after such a large number of people have been fed, stresses the generosity of God revealed in Jesus. Our God is a generous God who gives not only bread to the hungry, but even his very self. He showed this through his incarnation and public ministry. But it was shown in the most perfect way on the Cross. The miracle is thus a call to accept the generosity of God and be generous towards others in our turn. Will someone go hungry today because I have more than I require? Will I dare to share something with one person today?
Prayers
My divine Lord, I love You and desire to love You more. Fill me with a wonder and awe for You. Help me to desire You above all things and in all things. May my love of You become so intense that I find myself trusting You always. Help me, dear Lord, to make You the center of my entire life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord, I do surrender to You my whole being. Take all that I am and all that I hope to be. All is Yours, Lord. Do with me as You will, when You will and how You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the longing and hunger in our hearts. May I thirst for your kingdom and find joy in your presence. Give me the true bread of heaven and nourish me with your life-giving word.
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