Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

Lectionary: 177

Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were amazed....


I often use these gospel verses from Saint Matthew when I administer the Sacrament of the Sick. I am intrigued by the first words, "Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee...." 
The older New American Bible says he "passed by...." 
I think that may be a reference to Moses' pleading with the Lord, "I want to see your face!" 
God replied, in so many words, "No one sees my face! But I will pass by in front of you, holding my hand in front of you, and you will see the train of my glory as I pass by." 

(The train is not a freight train; it's the train like that of a bride's gown, which trails on the floor as she walks up the aisle. Kings and emperors were given to wearing long trains to impress their subjects.) 
So here is the Lord Jesus passing by the Sea of Galilee followed by the train of his glory:
Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others.
The martyred Saint Lawrence, of the griddle fame, was a joker and the Roman church's treasurer. When the Emperor demanded that Lawrence hand over to him all the Church's wealth, the saint asked for a few days to gather it in one place. On the given day, the Emperor arrived to find a pathetic crowd of human beings, suffering disabilities of every sort. Lawrence proudly boasted, "Behold the wealth of the Church!"
The emperor was not amused. 
During Advent, as we are assaulted by a desperate economy eager to exploit our holy day, we realize how helpless we are before this campaign, and take our place in the train that is bound for glory, a most pitiful sight.