Homily for Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent

Both of today’s readings refer to the high ground. In the first reading, the prophet speaks of a mountain where the LORD invites all people to an abundant banquet, where there will rich food and fine wines. All mourning, sadness, and shame will be taken away; even death will be destroyed. Here is a vision that lifts us up beyond the world as we know it towards another world where everything is exactly as God wants it to be.

 

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus goes up a mountainside and a large crowd follows Him. There, in the heights above the Sea of Galilee, Jesus restores speech to the mute, mobility to the lame, and sight to the blind. He goes on to feed the hungry with very limited resources. He feeds them so well that all ate as much as they wanted and, even then, there were seven baskets full of leftovers.

 

The vision of Isaiah in the first reading becomes something of a reality in the Gospel. Both readings speak to us of God, who wants us to have life and to have it to the full. It was Saint Irenaeus who said that the glory of God is the human person fully alive. In the Gospel, the LORD needed others to bring the sick to Him; He needed the disciples to help Him feed the crowd. He continues to need us if His life-giving work is to get done. Advent calls on all of us to be instruments of the LORD’S life-giving and healing presence in the world. In Advent, we pray, “Come, LORD Jesus.” We also offer ourselves as channels for the LORD’s coming. +