Wednesday 4 December 2024

Today is Wednesday the 4th of December in the 1st week of Advent. Liz Vice with the Good Shepherd Collective sings, ‘Amazing Grace’. How have you experienced the grace of Jesus in your life? Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 15:29-37 After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ Jesus asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few small fish.’ Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.  In today's passage Jesus heals those who are sick and feeds the crowds. Take a moment to imagine the scene. In the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the retreatant is invited to sense and to feel the style and heart of Jesus. Is this something you might like to ask for today? Jesus cares for the crowd and the different dimensions of their lives. As you listen to the passage again, notice the different ways in which Jesus cares for those who follow Him. In light of this Gospel story, how might you care for the people you will interact with today? As this time of prayer comes to a close, speak freely with Jesus about this and whatever else comes to mind. O Wisdom, Lord and Ruler Root of Jesse Key of David Rising Sun King of the Nations Emmanuel Come, Lord Jesus.