Grace Curtis
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In case you didn't know, today marks the second week of Advent. It is also the feast day of Saint Nicolas! This beloved and known saint is often loved and recognized by a whimsical fictitious character called Santa Claus. Now I'm not saying I hate Santa, but I do think it's problematic when kids know more about magical reindeer and elves than the real story of a selfless hero.
Some fun facts about jolly old Nick's life:
This wonderful man was the bishop of Myra, a town in Turkey. He is the patron saint of children and sailors/ all things ship-wise. One of the most famous stories associated with him is the story of the three poor daughters. It goes a little something like this... long ago, in the town of Myra, there were three daughters. Their father didn't have enough money for a dowry, so he couldn't pay for them to marry. This was very troublesome during Saint Nicolas's time because women either married or risked living an impoverished life. Saint Nicolas knew about this situation and took action. In the night he dropped a bag of gold into the home of the three daughters. The bag is said to have fallen in a stocking hung to dry by the fire. The next day the family found the money and rejoiced to the Lord for this miracle. Nicolas repeated the act of kindness for the other two daughters, allowing all three daughters to marry happily. After Saint Nicolas died, people said he still protected children and helped answer prayers for them. Catholics around the world remember his reputation as a mysterious gift-giver by leaving children gifts in stockings and shoes on his feast day (December 6) and on Christmas.
Naturally, Saint Nicolas's life also pertains to advent. Yesterday I went to a day of reflection at a place called Ruah Woods. We began the day with mass celebrated by an adorable elderly Jesuit priest. When the priest stood to begin his homily, the first words he spoke were on the meaning of Advent. Honestly, my first thought was "Oh great, another homily on how Advent is great and what it really means." I mean, come on! I'm a good Catholic and I already know what Advent means and its importance, tell me something I don't know. But instead of tuning out, I tried really hard to find something that struck me. And man did it strike me. He mentioned the usual "this is what we celebrate at Advent" point, but this time it was different. We remember THREE things at Advent:
1. Christ's coming in history
2. Christ's coming in mystery
3. Christ coming at the end of time
Woah, wait a second... Christ coming in mystery? Did he just say that because it rhymes with "history" or what? This is what he meant. There is an amazing gift Christ gives us every single day. He is among us, within us, and even makes himself physically present in the Eucharist. The beauty of God is we don't have to be bummed we missed Him on Earth 2,000 years ago and we also don't have to wait until the end of time to talk to Him. God makes Himself available for us right here, right now. That's pretty amazing! Advent is a special time to feel Christ all around us all the time and glorify Him and His greatness. Our God is unlike any other deity people believe in in the world because He gets into our mess. He walks among us and into the depths of our hearts to know us intimately instead of sitting high in heaven until we're "perfect" enough to approach Him. During this special season, I encourage you to think about the mystery of Christ being so incredibly real in your life. For me personally my prayer has been of praise this season. I find myself looking around at all my blessings; great best friends, loving family, excellent education, and the list goes on. Christ is the ultimate gift-giver, and He'll never stop pouring gifts out for you so you can feel His unending love. Take some time to notice that this Advent, and I promise it'll make the gift of Christmas sweeter than ever before.
Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay. Love isn't love until it's given away. Spread love this Advent season.
Your Sister in Christ
Some fun facts about jolly old Nick's life:
This wonderful man was the bishop of Myra, a town in Turkey. He is the patron saint of children and sailors/ all things ship-wise. One of the most famous stories associated with him is the story of the three poor daughters. It goes a little something like this... long ago, in the town of Myra, there were three daughters. Their father didn't have enough money for a dowry, so he couldn't pay for them to marry. This was very troublesome during Saint Nicolas's time because women either married or risked living an impoverished life. Saint Nicolas knew about this situation and took action. In the night he dropped a bag of gold into the home of the three daughters. The bag is said to have fallen in a stocking hung to dry by the fire. The next day the family found the money and rejoiced to the Lord for this miracle. Nicolas repeated the act of kindness for the other two daughters, allowing all three daughters to marry happily. After Saint Nicolas died, people said he still protected children and helped answer prayers for them. Catholics around the world remember his reputation as a mysterious gift-giver by leaving children gifts in stockings and shoes on his feast day (December 6) and on Christmas.
Naturally, Saint Nicolas's life also pertains to advent. Yesterday I went to a day of reflection at a place called Ruah Woods. We began the day with mass celebrated by an adorable elderly Jesuit priest. When the priest stood to begin his homily, the first words he spoke were on the meaning of Advent. Honestly, my first thought was "Oh great, another homily on how Advent is great and what it really means." I mean, come on! I'm a good Catholic and I already know what Advent means and its importance, tell me something I don't know. But instead of tuning out, I tried really hard to find something that struck me. And man did it strike me. He mentioned the usual "this is what we celebrate at Advent" point, but this time it was different. We remember THREE things at Advent:
1. Christ's coming in history
2. Christ's coming in mystery
3. Christ coming at the end of time
Woah, wait a second... Christ coming in mystery? Did he just say that because it rhymes with "history" or what? This is what he meant. There is an amazing gift Christ gives us every single day. He is among us, within us, and even makes himself physically present in the Eucharist. The beauty of God is we don't have to be bummed we missed Him on Earth 2,000 years ago and we also don't have to wait until the end of time to talk to Him. God makes Himself available for us right here, right now. That's pretty amazing! Advent is a special time to feel Christ all around us all the time and glorify Him and His greatness. Our God is unlike any other deity people believe in in the world because He gets into our mess. He walks among us and into the depths of our hearts to know us intimately instead of sitting high in heaven until we're "perfect" enough to approach Him. During this special season, I encourage you to think about the mystery of Christ being so incredibly real in your life. For me personally my prayer has been of praise this season. I find myself looking around at all my blessings; great best friends, loving family, excellent education, and the list goes on. Christ is the ultimate gift-giver, and He'll never stop pouring gifts out for you so you can feel His unending love. Take some time to notice that this Advent, and I promise it'll make the gift of Christmas sweeter than ever before.
Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay. Love isn't love until it's given away. Spread love this Advent season.
Your Sister in Christ