Isaiah 25:6-10 / Matthew 15:29-37
There is something different about the mood of Advent; different from say the mood of Lent.
Advent brings about a longing and a waiting. In the festive sense, it may mean a longing to get the Christmas shopping over and done, and a waiting for the celebrations and the presents to begin.
But in the more important spiritual sense, the 1st reading creates in us a longing for the promise of God to be fulfilled, as well as for the day of rejoicing in the Lord to come.
These aspects are portrayed concretely as the Lord giving a banquet where there will be rich food and endless rejoicing.
Every tear will be wiped away and the people's hope of salvation is realized as they rejoice and feast with the Lord.
Yet this hope and longing must be translated into life's moments of difficulties and challenges.
In the gospel, the challenge was the shortage of food coupled with difficulty of the time and place.
Jesus again showed that our hope and longing for the Lord is not in vain.
God will provide and He will see us through.
He only wants us to trust in Him and to rejoice in His love for us.