Wednesday 4 December

Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor

Is 25:6-10a, Ps 23, Matthew 15:29-37

Food for the soul

The banquets of Psalm 23 and Isaiah’s prophecy and the feeding of the thousands in St Matthew’s Gospel, while in the form of material bounty, are intended to symbolise the spiritual bounty which our loving God offers us. We need food for the spirit, just as we need food for the body. Jesus is the shepherd of the Psalm; Jesus will provide Isaiah’s banquet; Jesus is the bread of life, the food for the soul. Our material foods will satisfy our hunger for a short time but the food that Jesus offers will satisfy our hunger forever.