Wednesday of the
First Week of Advent
(Isaiah 25:6-10a; Matthew 15:29-37)
Each Wednesday during Advent the employees of the Diocese
of Fort Worth bring food delicacies for an “Advent Table.” They organize the feast by departments – on one
Wednesday it may be the workers in the finance department and chancery who stock
the table, on another those from education and ministry, and so on. The table or tables of delight are placed in
the reception area so that visitors may take part in the spread. Although they do not realize it, Wednesday is
the appropriate day because on the first Wednesday of Advent the gospel of
Jesus fulfilling Isaiah’s stunning prophecy of the banquet is proclaimed.
The prophecy envisions God providing a kind of
Thanksgiving feast for peoples of all races, languages, and nations. Strife among them will cease. People will have the veil that obstructs
their beholding all men and women as brothers and sisters lifted. The rich food and wine will cause them to
forget forever the enmities of the past.
Jesus’ feeding of the multitude on the mountain fulfills the prophecy and
his meal with his disciples the night before he dies carries out its
proposition. That “last supper” has been
reenacted millions of times bringing a universal brotherhood to fruition.
We do not have to be reminded that strife still
exists. Some – even those who attend
mass regularly – refuse to open their eyes to see Christ among us. They are not to be pitied as much as to be
entreated with sincere affection to see the source of total reconciliation in
their midst.
