Daily Readings - Wed Dec 06 2023
Isaiah
6On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine- the best of meats and the finest of wines.7On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;8he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.9In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."10The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain; but Moab will be trampled under him as straw is trampled down in the manure.
Matthew
29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.30Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.31The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."33His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"34"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
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.