God’s Word will come to us

Matthew 15:29-37

God’s Word will come to us.  This was the topic of the second reading in the Office of Readings today, from a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot.

We know that there are three comings of the Lord.  The third lies between the other two.  It is invisible, while the other two are visible.  In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him.  In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced.  The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved.  In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.

Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the last.  In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our rest and consolation.

In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself says:  If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.  There is another passage of Scripture which reads:  He who fears God will do good, but something further has been said about the one who loves, that is, that he will keep God’s word.  Where is God’s word to be kept?  Obviously in the heart, as the prophet says:  I have hidden your words in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.

Keep God’s word in this way.  Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life.  Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness.  Remember to eat your bread, or your heart will wither away.  Fill your soul with richness and strength.

If you keep the word of God in this way, it will also keep you.  The Son with the Father will come to you.  The great Prophet who will build the new Jerusalem will come, the one who makes all things new.  This coming will fulfill what is written:  As we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly man.  Just as Adam’s sin spread through all mankind and took hold of all, so Christ, who created and redeemed all, will glorify all, once he takes possession of all.

As I worked through today’s Gospel (Matthew 15:29-37) during lectio divina, the connection between these two readings became apparent.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Gospel of the loaves and fishes serves to remind us of the great miracle worker Jesus is.  Today, for me, it also serves to explain and validate the words of St. Bernard.  Let me explain.

Christians believe that the Messiah has already come once and eagerly await His second coming. St. Bernard, however, tells us that there are three comings.  The third is invisible and it’s happening now!  What does that mean?  Well, it was explained beautifully in the homily this past weekend.  The priest discussed how, and I’m paraphrasing, Jesus is the Word made flesh – He came in the past over 2000 years ago, He will come again in glory sometime in the future, and He comes to us NOW in the present. All we have to do is open our hearts and allow Him to enter.  He comes to us now in many ways.  The priest explained that one of the ways He comes to us is in the Eucharist.  Hence, the Eucharist is food for our journey.

I think we can all agree that Jesus also comes to us in the Scriptures, the word of God.  The Scriptures are another very important component of our faith.   St. Bernard tells us to keep God’s word in our hearts. Specifically he says:   Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life.  Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness.  Furthermore, I believe it was St. Jerome who said, ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. So, how can we keep God’s word in our hearts?   The answer is quite simple: by reading and pondering Scripture and by keeping His commandments.  Consequently, our whole way of life will be focused on the Word, capital W!

Part of today’s Gospel reads as follows: Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves,and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Jesus takes pity on his followers.  He wants them to be nourished but how will He do it?  He does it by breaking the bread and sharing everything He has with them.  Notice the similarity of the words in this Gospel to the words of the Gospel of the Last Supper.  There’s our reference to the Eucharist again.  He gives them food for their journey – their present journey and the journey that is life.  He does the same for us!

The imagery in St. Bernard’s words are absolutely beautiful.   He presents the third coming as “a road on which we travel from the first coming to the second.”  The third coming is our present journey!  As such,  we should  embrace the journey and not the destination.  Jesus comes to us on the journey.  Better yet, He is WITH US on the journey.  Hallelujah!  If we hold on to that image, NOTHING in this life can take us off course and absolutely nothing will make us lose our focus.  That’s the beauty of the present moment – don’t move past it!

Also, notice the reference in this Gospel to abundance.  When Christ is at the center there is always ENOUGH.  He is enough, we are enough and He provides enough!  Thanks be to God!

Will you allow Jesus to enter your heart, not only during Advent and Christmas but, always?  Let’s commit to nourishing ourselves in preparation for Christ’s third coming and invite God’s Word to come to us.  Then the promise of our divinization, through grace, will be fulfilled.  God bless you!