Let Us Be With Jesus 

We grow to fulfillment by being with Jesus. And this is only possible because he came to be with us: “The Word became flesh and lived among us [literally, “pitched his tent among us”], and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). 

Isaiah 25:6-10 tells us: “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food…. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.” 

In Matthew 15:29-37, Jesus does what was promised: He “went up the mountain…. Great crowds came to him… the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others…. and he cured them… Then Jesus said, “I have compassion for the crowd…. I do not want to send them away hungry.”  

So, the disciples canvassed the crowd and came up with seven loaves of bread “and a few small fish,” which Jesus “took… and after giving thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” And all were filled. 

Any Christian would recognize this formula as the words of consecration repeated in every Mass: Jesus “took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying….” The bread Jesus gives is his own flesh and blood, the living bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.  

Jesus’ promise is: “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. The bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world” (see John 6:33-51). 

Where Jesus is, the table is set. If we eat the Bread of Life, we will be filled. The Church is the “mountain on which the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food.” Jesus is the feast. He is our fulfillment and our joy. With him, “we shall live in the house of the Lord all our life” both now and forever.

Prayer Prompt: Spend extra time with Jesus during this Advent. Go to Mass on a few weekdays if you possibly can.

— Fr. David M. Knight

View today’s Mass readings, Lectionary #177, on the USCCB website here

Fr. David M. Knight (1931-2021) was a priest of the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee, a prolific writer, and a highly sought after confessor, spiritual director, and retreat master. He authored more than 40 books and hundreds of articles that focus primarily on lay spirituality and life-long spiritual growth.