in today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers how God reaches out to us in love and helps us when we are in need.
Readings for Saturday of the 1st week of Advent: Isaiah 30.19-21, 23-26; Psalm 146.2-4, 5-6; Matthew 9.35-10.1, 5a, 6-8. Text of readings can be found here.
I remember once going through a particularly difficult time in my life, when it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. A dear friend seemed to sense when I was feeling particularly low, and would invite me round for dinner. That kindly act didn’t take away all my troubles, but it did make the world seem a slightly brighter place.
In our readings today we see a God who, in a similar way, reaches out in love and compassion to those who are in need, but he is able to transform the fortunes of those who are suffering. Isaiah says this about God’s response to the people of Jerusalem: “He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you”. But God doesn’t just offer words of comfort, he acts as well. First, he tells the people the direction they should be going, and then promises that the land will be fertile. In the Gospel, Jesus has compassion on the crowd, “because they were harassed and helpless”. He too acts, by sending out the twelve to proclaim the kingdom, and bring healing in his name.
We know that whenever we are suffering or in need, God reaches out to us in love, but also brings the healing only he can offer. Likewise the church is called upon to carry out God’s work in the world, and so our mission ought to be seeking out the contemporary lost sheep, those harassed and helpless, weighed down by worries, problems and concerns. Yes, we can offer them compassion, a listening ear and a place of refuge. But we can also offer them the healing, restoration and salvation that comes only from God.
South Cardiff Ministry Area 