4TH DEC. 2013 READING & MEDITATION - WEEK 1 OF ADVENT ISAIAH 25:6-10AL; PSALM 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6; MATTHEW 15:29-37 I have compassion on the crowd Scripture: Matthew 15:29-37 29 And Jesus went on from there and passed along the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the dumb, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the throng wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. 32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way. 33 And the disciples said to him, Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd? 34 And Jesus said to them, How many loaves have you? They said, Seven, and a few small fish. 35 And commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10 6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. 9 It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 10 For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain, and Moab shall be trodden down in his place, as straw is trodden down in a dung-pit. Meditation: The Scripture readings are about God’s bounty. This is what salvation means – the fulfilling of all our needs: spiritual, emotional, social and physical. Isaiah prophesied that God would provide a heavenly banquet for all peoples and would destroy death once and for all (Isaiah 25:6-8). Jesus came to fulfill that promise. Jesus miracles are both a sign of God’s kingdom and a demonstration of God’s power. They show the magnitude of God’s love , compassion and bounty. In the Gospel, full of trust and confidence, people bring their lame, the crippled, the blind and dumb. Jesus healed them all and the crowds were amazed. There then comes a scene in what Jesus stands for: the compassion of God and his desire that the needs of all be supplied. They have been with him for three days and are hungry. They must be fed. The disciples were confronted by Jesus with the task of feeding four thousand people many miles away from any source of food. They exclaimed, “Where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”( The Israelites were confronted with the same dilemma when they fled Egypt and found themselves in a barren wilderness.) Like the miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness, Jesus, himself provides bread in abundance for the hungry crowd who came out into the desert to seek him. There were just – seven loaves of bread and a few fish. It was enough for Jesus. In the multiplication of the loaves and fishes we see a sign and a symbol of what God always does. God knows our needs and he cares. When God gives, he gives in abundance. The gospel account records that the leftovers from the miraculous meal was more than seven times the amount they began with. Seven is a symbol of completion and wholeness. When God gives, he gives until we are satisfied. When God works for his people he gives abundantly – more than we could deserve and more than we need. In the kingdom of heaven God will feast us at his banquet table. He nourishes us with his life-giving word and with the bread of heaven. Do we hunger for this bread of life? Do we feast at his Eucharistic bangquet often? “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. Responsorial Psalm , PS 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 R. 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 lif
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:40:42 +0000
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