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Message of the Day
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Sometimes it seems as though we spend our lives waiting. Daydreaming about an upcoming vacation, worrying over a medical test, preparing for the birth of grandchild-our days are filled with anticipation and anxiety over what the future holds. As Christians, we too spend our lives waiting. But we are waiting for something much bigger than a trip, bigger even than retirement or a wedding: We are
waiting for the return of Jesus in glory. Advent heightens this sense of waiting, because it marks not only our anticipation of Jesus’ final coming, but also our remembrance of his arrival into our world more than 2,000 years ago.
- Anonymous (What are you really waiting for in your life?)
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Readings of the Day
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Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5,
6 Mt 15:29-37 At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel. Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way."
The disciples said to him,
"Where could
we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?"
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"
"Seven," they replied, "and a few fish."
He ordered the
crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets
full. USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“All ate until they were full.” —Matthew 15:37
In the USA, people
gathered recently for rich Thanksgiving feasts. Yet the Eucharist, a word which literally means “thanksgiving,” is a far richer feast. It occurs every single day in the Holy Mass, and is far more abundant. The Eucharist is “life to the full” (see Jn 10:10). Try to imagine eating a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast every single day! And yet the Eucharist is more than that. It is “the Source and Summit of
the Christian life,” “the Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1324, 1374). Each day, we can gather at the table of God Almighty to receive this Bread from Heaven, the Bread of Life (Jn 6:31, 35). Therefore, rearrange your life so as to be able to receive the Eucharist as often as possible, even daily. Prayer:
Father, thank You forever for inviting me to share in Your family’s daily meal, the Holy Eucharist. May I desire to receive the Bread of Life as deeply as You desire to share it (Lk 22:15). Promise: “The Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” —Is
25:6 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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-Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Two, Encountering the Risen Christ Chapter 7: The Cosmic Christ, part
II - Selected quotes Love-seeing “in Christ” is an apophatic experience: it is not mediated by word or symbol (kataphatically), but is a direct participation in Christ’s own loving. What is perceived is thus evaluated in a different context, which might also be described as “in
Christ.” This is the manner in which Saints and many Christian mystics see things most of the time. It is almost as though they have no personal self involved in the perceiving and acting; Christ is the one who is doing the perceiving and acting through them (”I live, not I, but Christ.” Gal. 2:20). Their individual, ontological soul is there, alive and well, and capable of asserting itself if need be. But it is so much more the conformity of their human will with
Christ’s that moves them to actions and it is their deepest desire and joy that it be this way. That is why Saints are so important; they help us to learn more about what Christ is like and how he acts.
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