Word to the Wise
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 - 1st Week of Advent - Wed
[Isa 25:6-10a and Matt 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. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken. [Isaiah] 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....
DECEMBER 3 ST. FRANCIS XAVIER SJ
The magnificent vision of Isaiah of a banquet on a mountain at which God will wipe away every tear is fulfilled in the gospel account today in which Jesus heals "the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others." Added to this is the feeding of the multitude which is part of today's gospel.
Food and comfort go a long way toward wiping away the tears of loss and hurt. On a level that I think we are all familiar with, when we experienced an injury or insult as a child and went crying to Mom, the response would be a hug or bandaid and a treat! This is not to trivialize the scriptural experience but rather to make it incarnate. Comfort and healing can do a lot, whether it be for the desperate life of a refugee in the Middle East or the migrant on our borders.
A close friend once shared with me a story that has become a favorite of mine about a little girl who is not at the usual pick-up spot at the end of the school day. Mom gets concerned and goes looking. She finds her daughter sitting with another little girl who is holding a broken doll and crying. Mom rushes up and says, "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!" Her little girl replies, "Mama, I've been here with my friend. Her dolly is broken!" Mom replies, "That is very sad, but you can't fix her dolly, can you?" Her daughter replies, "No, Mama, but I can help her cry!" Sometimes, that is the only kind of comfort we can offer! What is important is that we offer it!
Advent is a tough time for some folks because of loss of job, health or loved-one. Offering comfort and hope may be the best gift of all! AMEN