Today’s Gospel describes crowds of people gathered about Jesus to learn his teaching. By his example he taught a lesson that Advent should impress upon me: he was sent by the Father to mingle among all, especially the infirm, the needy, the depressed.
This is the message of Christmas. This is why Christ came to our world. Advent should impress that message upon us. Am I ready to bring Christ to others? Do I ever pray to the Father asking him to show me how? Like the crowds that gathered around Jesus, there are millions throughout the world today who suffer from both physical and spiritual hunger. What can I do about it?
Today is the feast of St. Francis Xavier, a man in his time who heard the voices of the spiritually deprived. Obviously, I am not able to do what he did to relieve the misery of similar contemporary crowds, but I can pray to the Father to send others like Francis to do so. There is also another lesson in today’s Gospel I can do and that will be my generosity to all I meet.
... Resolve: Just as Jesus took the seven loaves of bread and divided them to give to others, so, I can share with, and for others the gifts our Father has given me. Today I shall ask Jesus to show me how.