“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
6th December 2017.
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WEDNESDAY, FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Reading 1: Is 25:6-10 Isaiah has a vision of the eternal joys of heaven when all human hungers will be satisfied, and the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.
Res. Psalm: s 22:1-6 The Lord is our shepherd. In pastures green, he gives us rest.
Gospel: Mt 15:29-37 Jesus heals crowds of cripples and deformed and then feeds them miraculously with seven loaves and a few fishes.
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A HUNGER FOR GOD
The Gospel describes the healing of the crippled, deformed, blind and mute. The multiplication of such miracles attracted the large crowd, and leads to the problem of how to provide food for so great a number. The miracle of feeding the thousands was a prediction and foreshadowing of the Eucharist to come.
We read that the large crowd was with Jesus for three days in a relatively deserted area. The food supply was scarce and individual families had consumed what they had brought. Mothers were worried about their children. Youngsters were restless and cranky. The men felt obliged to provide for their families. Jesus was moved to pity. Seven loaves and a few fish generated enough leftovers to fill seven baskets.
A human being hungers for God, and that hunger for material food and drink can very well be the best possible sign of that deepest of all hungers. The beautiful symbolism of natural food does not, however, indicate that it is not without its dangers. To overindulge in food or drink not only makes one sick; it may well cause overweight, which, in turn, may require a diet. But there is no danger of overindulging in the rich food of the divine word and the grace-giving sacraments, especially the Eucharist that nourishes the whole person. There are no problems of overweight in heaven, no calorie counting, and no dieting.
It is in the light, Jesus introduces the miracle with the revealing words: “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd.... I do not wish to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.”That day he fed the people with bread and fish. Now he feeds us with himself, his body and blood and his word. He gives us the fulfillment of what the miracle points to, the Eucharist, and so he provides us with a foretaste of the heavenly banquet foretold by Isaiah. The reception of Holy Communion enables the saved person to encounter Jesus precisely as his or her Savior. This miracle invites us to continue the multiplication of resources for the poor and to give them access, as is their human right, in Isaiah's poetry, to a "feast of rich food and choice wines."
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your compassion and the gift of the Eucharist, by which you fill our hunger and provide us with a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. May I be perfectly attentive to your presence in the Eucharist. Amen.