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
ADVENT MOUNTAIN
“For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.” —Isaiah 25:10
The Church begins the Advent season by taking us up a mountain. During Advent, we are told to “climb the Lord’s mountain” (Is 2:3). There we will receive God’s Word and God’s peace. Yesterday the Lord promised: “There shall be no harm or ruin on all My holy mountain” (Is 11:9). This will be done by the Holy Spirit resting on and working through the Messiah and His followers. Today the Lord promises: “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and 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” (Is 25:6, 7-8).
Where is this mountain upon which the needs of all peoples will be met and death will be destroyed? Jesus intimated that He knew the answer to this question when “He went up onto the mountainside” (Mt 15:29), healed the sick, and multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the masses (Mt 15:38). Yet, even at Multiplication Mountain, Jesus did not provide the needs for all people and destroy death. Jesus did that on the mountain of Calvary. Here He provided the offer of salvation for every human being, rent the veil between God and humanity (Mt 27:51), and destroyed death (see 1 Cor 15:26). The mountain of Advent prefigures Mount Calvary.
Prayer: Jesus, I choose to walk up the mountain with You even if I must go by way of the cross.
Promise: “Behold our God, to Whom we looked to save us!” —Is 25:9
Praise: St. John of Damascus is known as one of the two great poets of the Eastern Church. He defended the right to venerate icons and sacred pictures.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Martin Hogan
There are two questions asked in this morning’s gospel reading. One is asked by the disciples and the other is asked by Jesus. The question that the disciples ask - ‘Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?’ – is a somewhat despairing question, or, at least, a defeatist question. It is a question that does not really have any hopes of an answer. The question that Jesus asks – ‘How many loaves have you?’ – is a much more focused question. It is a question that already points people in the direction of a solution to the problem they were facing, the problem of how to feed a large crowd in a deserted place. Jesus’ question called forth those seemingly insignificant human resources among the crowd, seven loaves and a few fish, that he could nevertheless work with in a very powerful way. Today’s gospel assures us that Jesus can work powerfully through the little that we possess. If he is to do that, however, we may need to ask the right kinds of questions, not the kinds of questions that leave people feeling that nothing can be done, which was the kind of question the disciples asked. We need to ask hopeful questions, the kind of question Jesus asked, questions that encourage us to look at what we actually have been given, and to trust that the Lord can accomplish far more with those resources that we might imagine.
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 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.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 338: Keeping a Secret
One act of love we can offer another is our confidentiality. We have all had experiences of people coming to us with a problem or confusion and they ask us to keep it to ourselves. Can you keep this form of a sacred secret? Confidentiality is a wonderful act of mercy to others. If you can be truly confidential, others will come to realize this quality in you and they will more readily come to you with their concerns. This act of friendship, given out of love, opens the door to others to open their hearts and let you in. As you enter in, do so with much understanding and care and the Lord will bless them through you (See Diary #1638).
Reflect upon the question of confidentiality. When someone shares something in confidence with you, do you immediately think about who else you can tell? Are you tempted to reveal these secrets or, even worse, to spread gossip? The Lord wants many souls who are there for others, to listen to them, to understand them and to love them no matter what they need to share. Be a holy listener and confidant and you will be an instrument of much Mercy.
Lord, I pray that I may become a person of great integrity, offering a compassionate and confidential ear to those who need it. Give me grace to be freed of useless chatter and gossip and to revere every person, respecting their dignity through privacy. May I never push or probe for more but only be a compassionate friend who is always there to show love. Jesus, I trust in You.
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