Daily Readings - Wed Dec 05 2018
Isaiah
6And the Lord of hosts will cause all the peoples on this mountain to feast on fatness, to feast on wine, a fatness full of marrow, a purified wine7And he will cast down violently, on this mountain, the face of the chains, with which all peoples had been bound, and the net, with which all nations had been covered8He will violently cast down death forever. And the Lord God will take away the tears from every face, and he will take away the disgrace of his people from the entire earth. For the Lord has spoken it9And they will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord! We have endured for him. We will exult and rejoice in his salvation.10For the hand of the Lord will rest upon this mountain. And Moab will be trampled under him, just as stubble is worn away by a wagon
Matthew
29And when Jesus had passed from there, he arrived beside the sea of Galilee. And ascending onto a mountain, he sat down there30And great multitudes came to him, having with them the mute, the blind, the lame, the disabled, and many others. And they cast them down at his feet, and he cured them31so much so that the crowds wondered, seeing the mute speaking, the lame walking, the blind seeing. And they magnified the God of Israel32And Jesus, calling together his disciples, said: "I have compassion on the crowds, because they have persevered with me now for three days, and they do not have anything to eat. And I am not willing to dismiss them, fasting, lest they faint along the way.33And the disciples said to him: "From where, then, in the desert, would we obtain enough bread to satisfy so a great multitude?34And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" But they said, "Seven, and a few little fish.35And he instructed the crowds to recline upon the ground36And taking the seven loaves and the fish, and giving thanks, he broke and gave to his disciples, and the disciples gave to the people37And they all ate and were satisfied. And, from what was left over of the fragments, they took up seven full baskets
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s abundant love and care for His people. In the First Reading from Isaiah, we hear a beautiful vision of a future where God will remove the veil of death and wipe away every tear. This passage is part of Isaiah’s larger vision of the messianic age, where God will restore His people and bring them to a mountain feast, symbolizing His victory over suffering and death. It is a message of hope, reminding us that even in the darkest times, God’s plan for our salvation is at work.
In the Gospel, Matthew describes Jesus’ compassion for the crowds who have followed Him for three days. Seeing their physical and spiritual needs, Jesus performs a miracle, feeding them with just seven loaves and a few fish. This miracle, similar to the feeding of the 5,000 earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, shows Jesus’ divine power and His care for both the body and the soul. The leftovers, filling seven baskets, symbolize God’s abundance and generosity. This passage reminds us that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision, the one who brings life, healing, and nourishment to all people.
These readings call us to trust in God’s providence and to live with compassion. Just as Jesus saw the needs of the crowd and acted, we are called to see the needs of those around us and respond with love. In our daily lives, we may face moments of scarcity or doubt, but the Gospel assures us that God can multiply even the little we have. Let us ask for the faith to trust in His abundance and the courage to share what we have with others. May we, like Jesus, be instruments of hope and healing in a world that often feels broken and in need.