Reading 1
Is 25:6-10a
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5,
6Responsorial PsalmR. (6cd)
I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Mt 15:29-37
Gospel
At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
The disciples said to him,
“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?”
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.
Meditation: Matthew 15:29-37
Seven baskets full. (Matthew 15:37)
Have you ever thought of God as a sloppy host? Today’s Gospel reveals his tendency to give his guests so much more than they need—more, even, than they can manage to eat. Not only was everyone fed; seven whole basketfuls of food were left over! In Scripture, the number seven is often used to represent completeness or fullness. So we could say that Jesus doesn’t just want to give us more than we need; he even wants there to be too many leftovers!
As followers of Jesus, we can trust that God will provide for each of us so much that we will have plenty left over. He wants to give us an overabundance of hope, peace, joy, purpose, and freedom. He wants to heal us, energize us, and set us free—so much so that we would have the equivalent of seven basketfuls left over to give to everyone else!
Still, there are times when we may not feel deserving. Or there may be times when past sins or disappointments have led us to doubt that God wants to help us. When thoughts like these come, try thinking about how generously Jesus gives himself in his body and blood. Day after day, week after week, he comes and feeds us with an overabundance of grace and favor. We come to the altar empty and needy, and he fills our every need, nourishing us with the bread of his life. We can actually feel him drawing us back to him as we taste and see his goodness.
There may be times when we sense that some part of our lives is empty. We may be far from home. Or we may be feeling drained of joy and peace because of overwork. Or we may be spending so much time caring for someone else that we feel we have nothing left over for ourselves. In situations like these, we can always find comfort in Jesus’ eucharistic presence—whether at Mass or in silent adoration. He can fill our emptiness as we gaze on him and pour out our hearts. We should never underestimate the power of God to provide for us. God truly is a generous—even sloppy—host!
“Jesus, fill those empty corners of my life with your abundant provisions—even those dark corners caused by my sin. Help me, Lord, to trust in you.”
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