The two readings are about the abundance that comes from God. This is what salvation means - the fulfilling of all our needs: spiritual, emotional, social and physical. In the Gospel, full of trust and confidence, people bring their lame, the crippled, the blind and dumb. Jesus brought healing to them all and the crowds were amazed.

There then comes a scene which is a kind of parable of what Jesus stands for: the compassion of God and his desire that the needs of all be supplied. The people have been with Jesus for three days and are hungry. They must be fed. There's not much to feed them with - seven loaves of bread and a few fish. It is enough for Jesus. Again and again people who have dedicated themselves to caring for the hungry and homeless have found what they needed turning up on their doorstep. We, too, are reminded to do the same. If there is hunger and suffering and death, it is not the work of God. It is largely our failure to share what we have with those who have not. This is what Christmas is really about - good news for the poor and needy.