WEDNESDAY HOMILY, 1ST WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR B
WEDNESDAY HOMILY, 1ST WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR B
THEME: LOVE THAT SEES SOLUTION.
By: Fr. Karabari Paul
‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat’
Jesus Christ offers the kind of comfort that can never be obtained elsewhere. In the Gospel of today (Matthew 15:29-39), the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others, were brought to the feet of Jesus, and He healed them. That scene should be disgusting and frustrating before normal human eyes. The presence of Jesus gives dignity to worthless human situations. He restores value. But that is only when we are humble enough to put things at His feet.
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To prefigure what His body is to a sick soul, Jesus did not only heal them, He fed them. Love is always very practical. Jesus’ heart is moved with compassion for all those who have sought him out. He knows the sacrifices that they have made in searching him out, and He is not going to leave them disappointed. Jesus meet people in ordinary situations and shares Good News and healing with them. He has compassion for people with the different hungers in their lives. He saw beyond the practical questions of His disciples who saw the difficulty of finding food in a desert. They did not realise that the little they had was enough for Jesus. We have a God of lavish generosity.
Jesus saw the opportunity to demonstrate love and compassion not the problem. The disciples saw problem. The stark difference between God and man. We can get caught in the little we have and fail to offer it to the Lord – it is enough for Him. He will do the rest.
The disciples saw only the practical problem, but in His charity towards His neighbour, Jesus all but ignored it. What can I learn from Christ’s attitude? Will I ever be let down or not be satisfied if I seek Christ with a sincere heart?
The miracle that Jesus worked in multiplying the loaves is a prelude to an even greater miracle He plans to bring about. Jesus knows the longings of our hearts, and He knows that material food has its limits, even when it is abundant. St Augustine states, “You made us for yourself, Oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” How can I not trust that Jesus will always provide for what I truly need, after His lowering Himself to appear as bread so that we can feed on Him and be satisfied?
Jesus did not conjure the loaves and fish out of thin air. He took what was offered to Him and multiplied it greatly. We must never think we have little to give others. As St Teresa of Avila reminds us, “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which He blesses all the world.” GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our world and land, bless and protect us all through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning.
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