There’s something both mystical and beautiful, and I’d add hopeful, about being on a mountaintop. Today, the prophet Isaiah brings us up on that high ground, far above the tough reality of human trials, by saying, "On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will provide…" not just for some, but for "all peoples."
The prophet goes on to list all the Lord will provide: a feast of rich food and choice wines, the removal of the veil over all nations, and the destruction of death.
This reading is one of the most hopeful we could ever receive from God. It’s celebratory; it promises eternal life, the end of sorrow, and, so importantly, freedom from reproach from God.
Continuing with the positive mood, Isaiah tells us how people will respond to God’s blessings, that we’ll see that our prayers, our faith in God wasn’t in vain, that the Lord answers our prayers. People who placed their trust in God, despite the tough times, including internal turmoil, will rejoice and say that “…the Lord has saved us.”
Today is a mountaintop day in the gospel from Matthew as well. It’s the place where Jesus heals the lame, blind, deformed, mute. It’s where Jesus is moved with pity for the suffering of all, including their physical hunger, and so He feeds the great crowds as only He can.
So, here’s the question, how do we hear this message, this Word of God? We’ve come into the House of the Lord either by walking into the Father Peyton Center or online; we’ve made our way up to the mountaintop to be nourished in mind, body, and soul. What do we bring to this celebration of the Word and Eucharist to have healed or strengthened? Is it our faith in a God who cares? It is the mind or body of a loved one or us who is ailing? Is it our trust in humankind to show compassion, especially for those in most need?
Our God is the God of Isaiah, and David, and Matthew, and throughout all of history. As in generations of our ancestors and now in our lives, God’s promise remains, that’s why no matter what we’re facing, every time we go to Jesus, no matter how deep the valleys of life, we can always find a reason for hope, a reason to persevere, a reason to love God and each other…for to paraphrase the prophet the hand of the Lord rests upon our shoulder and gives us what we need and our families and friends need today and every day.
My brothers and sisters, God’s Word gives us the hope for our lives. How can we share this mountaintop message with others, beginning at home? That’s something to think and pray about before we put our hand on that door or pick up the phone to talk with a loved one. May God bless you and your families this holy day as we bring this mountaintop message of hope from God to those we love.
Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
Reverend David S. Marcham is the Vice Postulator for the Cause of Venerable Patrick Peyton, and Director of the Father Peyton Guild, whose members pray for Father Peyton’s beatification and spread his message of the importance of Family Prayer. Prior to becoming a seminarian, Father David was a physical therapist and clinical instructor, serving hospital inpatients and outpatients throughout the greater Boston area for eleven years. In 1998 he heard the call to priesthood and was ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2005. Father David grew up in Quincy, MA, and has fond memories of playing soccer, tennis and running track. You’re never without a friend when Father David is around, as he welcomes everyone into his circle with a smile on his face!
