Word to the Wise
Wednesday, December 5, 2018 - 1st Week of Advent - Wed
[Isa 25:6-10a and Matt 15:29-37]WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018 WEDNESDAY IN THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT [Isaiah 25:6-10a and Matthew 15:29-37] On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.....The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.....[Isaiah] Promise and fulfillment are a major element of the Advent liturgical season. I have mentioned before that the Gospel According to Matthew is particularly given to this theme. In the gospel scripture for today, Jesus goes “up on the mountain” to sit down and heal and then feed the multitude. Isaiah’s vision is part of understanding the setting given by the evangelist. The menu might seem a little less vivid than Isaiah’s vision, but to the hungry, lame, blind, deformed and mute and many others it would be manna from heaven. I am always touched by the image of the Lord God wiping away the tears from all faces. This is a tender gesture that we might extend to a child or a grieving friend. That gesture is written large in the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise in the forthcoming birth of Jesus. It is a promise that we can fulfill when we feed others, help heal others, and wipe away the tears. In this season of giving, those can be the best gifts of all. AMEN