Gospel: Matthew 15: 29-37
On the mountain of the Lord all needs are met: the lame and deformed are healed, the blind can see and the mute can now speak. God has healed them of their infirmities. What is more, everyone without distinction is fed. No one goes away hungry or in want of anything. God's banquet has come to earth and all are fed in great abundance.
Jesus instructs the original disciples - and us - to provide for these needs. The original group of disciples was skeptical, but they did provide him with whatever they had in order to help meet the need. Would that we had such faith! We may give a few cans of food to a pantry, but mutter that the poor we will always have! We grumble about migrants and immigrants but support the wars and policies that displace peoples. We prefer Go Fund Me fundraisers and building stadiums for billionaires to providing health care and education opportunities for all.
Jesus came in the flesh 2,000 years ago, but he comes among us each day as one who is lame, deformed, blind, and mute. Advent is our time to recall this fact and to accept the call of the Lord in today's reading to provide what we are able in order to do the works of mercy that are the essence of God's kingdom - to bring that banquet table of the Lord down to earth for all to partake.
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