FIRST READING
The Lord God invites us to his feast, and wipes away tears from all faces.
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 25:6-10a)
On that day: The LORD Of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of choice wines—of fat things full of marrow, of choice wines well refined. And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord GOD Will wipe away tears front all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm23:1-3a.3b-4.5.6(R. 6cd)
R/. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me;
he revives my soul. R/.
He guides me along the right path,
for the sake of his name.
Though I should walk in the
valley of the shadow of death,
no evil would I fear,
for you are with me.
Your crook and your staff
will give me comfort. R/.
R/. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
You have prepared a table before me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is over flowing. R/.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for length of days unending. R/.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. Behold, the Lord is coming to save his people; blessed are those who are ready to meet him. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
Jesus heals many and multiplies the bread.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 15:29-37)
At that time: Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain, and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the throng wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having give thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Isaiah describes the “Messianic banquet” as a great celebration that God will provide for us all after the veil of fear and suspicion is gone. People of every race and nationality will gather as brothers and sisters. The responsorial psalm speaks of God, the good shepherd, refreshing the flock with food. In the Gospel Jesus feeding the people is traditionally considered as a symbol of the Eucharist. The lessons contained in the three readings are: 1. God desires to have eternal communion with every one of us at the end of time. 2. The best nourishment is the food of the Eucharist and the word. Without these two, we cannot live, for God’s word is the light of the soul and his body the bread of life.