Daily Readings - Wed Dec 06 2023
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
In today's readings, we encounter powerful visions of God's providence and compassion. Isaiah 25:6-10a paints a vivid picture of a future feast on Mount Zion, where God will abolish death and wipe away every tear. This passage, written during a time of exile and hardship for the Israelites, offers hope of a messianic era where God's people will be comforted and restored. It speaks to the deep human longing for healing and joy in the face of suffering.
In Matthew 15:29-37, we see this vision of God's abundance and care realized in the person of Jesus. After healing many who were blind, mute, and lame, Jesus feeds a vast crowd with just seven loaves and a few fish. This miracle, like the one in Isaiah, reveals God's desire to satisfy the deepest hungers of humanity—both physical and spiritual. Jesus' compassion and willingness to provide for those in need remind us that God's love is not abstract but concrete, meeting us in our most basic human needs.
These readings invite us to reflect on how we encounter God's care in our own lives. Just as the crowds trusted Jesus enough to bring their sick and their hunger to him, we are called to trust in God's providence, even when resources seem scarce. The miracle of the loaves and fish also challenges us to share what we have, however little it may seem, so that others might experience God's abundance through us. Let us ask for the grace to see the world with the eyes of faith, trusting that God can bring life out of emptiness and hope out of despair.