Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
(Isaiah
25:25:6-10a; Matthew 15:29-37)
Isaiah’s
vision of a celestial banquet provides a rich backdrop for the gospel. It is hard not to find in the description of
a rich feast in which people of all nations take part a blueprint for eternal
life in. There, the prophet says, people
will see through racial and national differences to the common human core that all
have.
Jesus’ feeding
of the multitude on a mountain fulfills the prophetic vision. It is Eucharistic from the gathering of the
crowd to hear the word of God to the distributing of the bread over which Jesus
gave thanks. There may not be anyone
there except Galileans, but surely the people have differences of ideas and
temperaments. The bread draws them
together into one family without enmity.
During Advent
we renew our hope for unity and world peace.
There will always be differences among persons and peoples. However, nourished by the Bread of Life, we
will see the good in all and give thanks to God for it.
