December 2/First Wednesday of Advent
Moving on from there Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee, and going up onto the mountain he sat down there. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them. ~ Matt 15.29-30
A friend recently told me that — thanks to the angelic intervention of a compassionate nurse — she and her family were allowed into the local nursing home to celebrate her mother-in-law’s 94th birthday. The woman died peacefully just weeks later, making that serendipitous celebration all the more precious. Many of us have lived out these recent months in terrible isolation, unable to be with friends or relatives for fear of contracting the virus. Others, relatively more fortunate, have nonetheless seen our daily horizons shrink dramatically. Deprived of office camaraderie, barred from large-scale sporting events, unable to mix and mingle socially, all of us have suffered from the absence of presence. Many pundits and observers have predicted that we will never return to the water cooler, the college classroom, the football stadium, the concert hall. I have my doubts about such prognostications — because as any doctor, teacher, or college student will attest, there is no substitute for face-to-face human connection. We need to be with one another, as today’s Gospel powerfully illustrates. Seated on the mountain, Jesus is fully present to the swarming crowd. He touches, heals, listens, and loves. Isolation and loneliness are awful and unavoidable realities right now, and for many, human presence carries real dangers. As we await a better day, we can only renew our commitment to the virtual methods we do have: video calls and greetings passed through windows, cheery emails and socially-distant small gatherings. But this vignette of Jesus sitting as the crowds flock to him is a reminder that the ministry of presence — being fully attentive to others — can be the best way to healing and wholeness.
O God of peace, Grant us creativity and patience as we seek to be present to others amid the challenges of our time. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120220.cfm
To hear the Rev. James Cleveland sing “Breathe on Me, Breath of God,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S42k3L2UgoY
