Matthew 15: 29-37
Reflection by Sister Anita Louise Lowe
Liturgist, Ferdinand, Indiana
Today’s reading from the Book of Prophet Isaiah provides us
with rich images portraying the day when God returns to dwell among the people
of Israel. Isaiah tells us that, on that
day God will feed the people with “a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured
wines.” God will also “wipe away the
tears from all faces,” and will “swallow up death for ever.” On that day, creation will be returned to
its origins, to the way life was when the first humans lived in the Garden of
Eden. There they were with God, walked
with God, and talked with God. There
they were given to feast on the bounty of the garden. The vision of Isaiah is that one day humanity
will dwell again with God and feast in paradise.
This prophesy foreshadows the ministry of Jesus shown in
today’s Gospel passage. Jesus went up to
the mountain where great crowds came to him. There he healed them and wiped away their tears of pain and sorrow. There he fed them with bread and fish. Jesus’ call to his disciples to cure the sick
and feed the hungry continues to be our call today as his followers. We are called to be the body of Christ for
those around us, for our neighbors, and for our world. During this Advent season may we recognize
that we are the presence of Christ for others, and may we answer the call to be
Christ, to reach out with hands of healing, to speak words of peace and
reconciliation, to feed those who are hungry — physically and spiritually.
In the words of Teresa of Avila: “Christ has no body now on
earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes
through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are
the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with
which He is to bless His people.”
Questions for Reflection:
Who has been Christ for me in the difficult times of my life?
To whom am I being sent to be the presence of Christ today?
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