| Wednesday, December 03, 2003 Meditation Matthew 15:29-37 Throngs of hurting, needy people traveled to the hill country looking for help and comfort. They had nowhere else to turn, so what could they lose by seeking out this miracle man? Showing neither discrimination nor exclusions, Jesus healed them all! They had come to him, aware of their desperate needs, and he didn’t let them down. Imagine the awe and wonder that must have filled them as they saw him almost effortlessly give sight to the blind, voice to the mute, and hope to the despairing. It didn’t matter what was missing in their lives; Jesus provided for their needs and made them whole.
Eight hundred years before these dramatic healings took place, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a time when God would heal his people and wipe away the tears from their faces. Isaiah spoke of how everyone, upon witnessing such miracles, would glorify God for his goodness (Isaiah 25:8).
Indeed, this is what happened on that mountain so long ago—but God’s goodness didn’t stop there. After spending three days receiving Jesus’ teaching and his healing power, it was time for the people to return to their homes. Once more, Jesus looked on them with compassion, knowing that they needed food for their journey. And once more he didn’t let them down. Taking seven loaves of bread and a few fish, he blessed his Father and fed them all. Clearly, there was no limit to his generosity that day.
But is this the end of the story? Do we look back with nostalgia to the “good old days” when prophets spoke and miracles occurred? Do we wonder whether we could ever hope to find God’s healing and love for our problems? The next time you receive the Eucharist, look around you. Look at the young and the old, the able and the broken, the hopeful and the doubtful. Then look to Jesus in the bread broken for us. At every Mass, he comes to us whole and entire, filled with the same desire and power to heal that moved him two thousand years ago. Let us come to the banquet of the Lord eager for him to wipe the tears from our faces and to heal us body and soul.
“Lord, we look to you and rejoice that you have saved us. Strengthen our faith so we see all the ways you care for us as we journey home to you.” |
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