Find Joy

Find Joy

Friday of the First Week of Advent

Optional Memorial of Saint  Nicholas, bishop

Piety

On that day, the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll; And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly shall again find joy in the LORD; the poorest rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.  Isaiah 29:18-19

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" When he entered the house, the blind men approached him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." Matthew 9:27-29

Study

The darkness of a winter’s night descends earlier and earlier. The days continue to get shorter and shorter.  The sun does not come up until 7:12 tomorrow.  Yet, before most people leave work, darkness returns at 4:47. The hours of daylight will continue to get shorter for two more weeks.

But Advent Catholics are not discouraged.  As we are near the end of the First Week of Advent, our solitary purple candle continues to hold out the hope of conquering darkness. One little candle against all that darkness of space. Just like one little prayer effectively defiant against the power of evil.

In this darkness, Isaiah reminds us of what happens when God is among us.  The prophet presents the positive aspects of God’s light in terms of a series of reversals: an end to pride, ignorance, and injustice. The passage echoes the same manifesto of redemption that Jesus preached that first day in the temple (Isaiah 61:1-2).

“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners, To announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God.”

Yet it is not just idle preaching.  Our Good News shows Jesus restoring sight to the blind men and helping them find such joy that they can not keep the miracle of sight a secret. 

Action

It is our job, as saints among us, to be the arms and hands and feet of Christ in the world of darkness. Today, liturgically speaking, also is the Feast of St. Nicholas. Yes…the jolly old man in the red suit that Clement Moore popularized. This third-century saint sold all his possessions and gave his money to the poor. Raised to be a devout Christian, St. Nicholas dedicated his whole life to serving the sick and suffering. His charity was a light shining in the darkness. 

Traditions lost in the commercialism of a “December-to-remember” include

children leaving their shoes out in the hopes of finding small gifts in the morning. The spirit of St. Nicholas Eve and day was one focused on giving over receiving, remembering those less fortunate.  However, with only 19 shopping days left until Christmas, St. Nick gets trampled by the Black Friday crowds looking for a bargain on a flat-screen TV.

In these days of preparation, remembering St. Nicholas adds a spiritual dimension to gift-giving.  Maybe the popular #GivingTuesday could be permanently moved to December 6?

Recalling the story of Nicholas as a model inspiring compassion and charity also sets the stage for us to honor the Christ Child in 19 days who selflessly gave the greatest gift of all – himself – to be with those two blind men and us. May he restore our sight this season as well. The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.