This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.
It is prophesied, and it is fulfilled. All in today’s readings.
He will feed his people a rich feast on the mountain; He will destroy death.
And He does: Even physically, He destroys the grip that death exerts on the living, in the form of deformities and handicaps. He feeds thousands on the mountainside. All in today’s Gospel passage.
But these are just images of what He does for the whole person through the salvation He brings.
It is easy to become discouraged in a world where the transformation Jesus came to effect is still an incomplete process; where sin still reigns, and the salvation of humanity is a work in progress, and so many do not choose its path.
But as we look toward Christmas from the perspective of Advent, let our joyful anticipation be not half-hearted: Jesus did not come to leave a job half done. The baby that comes at Christmas is the definitive, final answer to death and misery. Full of this conviction, let us be joyful and grateful that we get to be part of the process He has undertaken, before it is complete.
Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Renew your faith and hope in Jesus, that He is the Alpha and the Omega–not just the Alpha. He is the Beginning and the End (cf. Rev. 22:13). Tell Him you put all your eggs in His basket, without hesitation; that you renew your total gift of self to Him. Give Him your futility, your ruin, your brokenness, knowing that these are the very materials He will use to complete His mission.
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