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Memorial of St. Francis Xavier
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Luke 10:21-24
Summary
The essence of the First Reading is Isaiah?s prophecy that the Lord
will provide what we need in the way of human sustenance, wipe
away our tears, and ultimately destroy death. We should rejoice for
this beautiful love and protection that the Lord provides. This is done
on a mountain, symbolic of the strength of His presence as our solid
foundation. The Responsorial Psalm reflects on the guidance that the
Lord provides us and the courage we gain through our faith in Him.
Finally, in Matthew?s Gospel, Jesus, upon climbing a mountain,
elected to cure some of the infirmed who were among the multitude
following him. The people revel in glory at the witness of these great
miracles. Then Christ realized that the large crowd, who had been
faithfully following Him for three days, was hungry and tired without
food to give them strength to carry on. So, Jesus transformed seven
loaves of bread and a few fish to feed everyone present-- leaving
seven baskets full once all were nourished and fully satisfied.
Reflection
In many ways, the summation of these readings is like a wonderful,
warm hug from God. The theme is that He is our mountain?our foun-
dation; and, on that foundation we can rely for His support in every
way. In times of hunger, sadness, pain
or fear, through our faith in the Lord, we
can gain strength and courage to over-
come any obstacle the path of life pre-
sents to us. It is and will be through our
