In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 15, Jesus feeds a great multitude. He says, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd…I do not want to send them away hungry.” The disciples gave Him seven loaves and a few fish. Jesus fed the whole crowd. Afterwards, there were seven baskets of fragments left over.
In the first reading from Isaiah 25, the prophet speaks of a time when “The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth…On that day it will be said: ‘Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!’ ” These two readings actually fit together quite nicely. How? The Eucharist!
Jesus did not want to send anyone, for all time, away hungry. And so He left us the Eucharist. His Body and Blood, that we, and all people for all time, might not hunger. At Mass, right before the Eucharist, the priest holds the host aloft and proclaims, “Behold, the Lamb of God…” See the connection? “Behold our God!” Just as Isaiah prophesied! In the Eucharist, this prophesy is eternally fulfilled. We should be blown away every time we go to Mass because of this.
Father, we thank you for the gift of the Eucharist – Jesus, “Our God, to whom we looked to save us!” We thank you that this is the day of salvation! Amen.
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