Advent makes us step back. We step back for various reasons: to take stock; to count our blessings; to start preparing for the Christmas bake and preparations; to buy gifts, and many myriad activities. The end is coming; the beginning is already here. But there is little doubt that I am wounded. We are wounded. Our country is wounded. The world is wounded. Perhaps this Advent will instill hope for healing.

Prophet Isaiah and the Psalm today are indeed consoling. Both remind us of healing and restoration, and that God is our ultimate healer. “People of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more” and ‘He heals the broken-hearted, He binds up all their wounds’ are indeed telling of a God who knows our wounds – wounds we have inflicted upon ourselves, onto others, and wounds we deserve due to the consequences of our sins against God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus visits the sick in the various towns and villages: “And when He saw the crowds, He felt sorry for them because they were harrassed and dejected.” Jesus identifies deeply with the wounded. The image of the Sacred Heart reminds me that Jesus is the wounded healer. He has been wounded and healed and raised by the Father. His mission is reconciliation. Jesus expands the reach of His healing touch by comissioning those closest to Him to “Go to the lost sheep...cure the sick.