BREAD OF ADVERSITY…

Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26
19 Yea, O people in Zion who dwell at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you.20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.23 And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your cattle will graze in large pastures;24 and the oxen and the asses that till the ground will eat salted provender, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork.

25 And upon every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the hurt of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

Matthew 9:35-38,1;10:1,5-8

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity.36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;38 pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.5 These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.7 And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.

MEDITATION

ISAIAH console the people reminding them that their participation in the pascal meal when they eat the “bread of adversity and drink the water of affliction”—an allusion to the Holy Eucharist—Yahweh makes Himself present to them (v20), fortifying their spirits guiding them on their journey to the promised, land when God shall bind and heal all wounds and afflictions that resulted from their difficult journey. 

Isaiah prophecy the Last Supper that was to be the fulfillment of the journey to the promised land, when the Son of God offered His life for the atonement of the people. Jn 6:35,Lk 22:19-20

THE GOSPEL READING: Being fully aware of the struggles, hunger, pain and helplessness of His followers, Christ responded to the needs of the broken hearted people, when He confered holy orders on the twelve, sending them to exclusively attend to the Hebrew people who were held back and or entrapped by all manner of afflictions or sin.Moreover the twelve were ordered to not demand a dime from anyone! 

Christ has left us with the greatest gift; His flesh and blood, supernatural Bread and Drink of adversity that heal and protect us against our adversary the devil. We who have been confirmed are called to present ourselves to the Lord in the Sacrifice of the Mass. This is an adventagious time for us to receive healing, protection and be in high spirits, ready for the second coming of the Lord. 

LET US PRAY: Psalms 147:1-6

1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is seemly.2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.4 He determines the number of the stars, he gives to all of them their names.5 Great is our LORD, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.6 The LORD lifts up the downtrodden, he casts the wicked to the ground.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.