1st Week of Advent
06th December 2023 (Wednesday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10a
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well–aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 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. It will be said on that day, “Behold, 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.” For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (R. see 6cd)
R/. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Matthew 15:29-37
At that time: Jesus went on from Tyre and Sidon and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel. 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.” And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 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. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: God who is compassionate!
Guidlines: Our God is a God who is compassionate. He understands our struggles and our tears. He will strengthen us and comfort us. Those who trust in Him and come to Him will never be disappointed{alertSuccess}
1. What a consoling picture of God we have in the Word of God today! God through His prophet emphatically promises thus: He will take away the veil of gloom cast over the peoples. He will wipe away tears from all faces.
2. He will knock away the reproach of his people. He will feed all people with a sumptuous banquet. He will swallow up death forever. His hand will rest on all those who come to Him. He will grant salvation.
3. All these are truly fulfilled in Jesus in the gospel. He heals all the sick that come to him. He made the mute speak, the lame walk, the blind see, and the crippled healthy. It is all because he is compassionate toward his people.
4. This is manifested in his miraculous feeding of four thousand. He multiplies seven loaves and a few small fish and still seven baskets full of the broken pieces were left over. This shows the abundance of God’s grace in love and compassion.
5. It is a compassionate heart that senses their hunger and decides to feed them lest they faint on the way back to their homes. He takes the initiative. His compassion does not get discouraged by the difficulty of the situation:
6. A desolate place and so distance constrains any procurement; so big a number as four thousand; so little available like seven loaves and a few small fish; the direct discouragement by the disciples who assess the situation and state that it is impossible to feed such a huge crowd.
7. His compassion blended with his divine power makes the little abundant and satisfies all. God’s compassionate intervention leads to abundant satisfaction. It is only in God that we find real abundance and satisfaction.
8. Those who approach God in faith and depend on him will never be disappointed. They will be fully satisfied. Not only to the full, but even extra. They collected seven more baskets of leftovers.
Practice: Person and community are two separate and exclusive entities. One affects and changes the other. Good people make a good community. And a good community helps to make good persons{alertSuccess}