Dear Friends,
Advent starts tomorrow, our time of planning for Christmas and especially the coming of Christ into our hearts. While we "rejoice in the Lord always," it's also a time of penance, the fast before the feast. I plan on fasting from one of my favorite holiday beverages: eggnog. To offer it up with joy will be challenging sometimes...
There are also things that we can do to give joy to others. The feast of St. Nicholas is coming up on December 6th. Someone shared with me that because her father was of Slavic descent, one of their family traditions was polishing up their shoes and leaving them lined up for St. Nicholas' visit. In the morning, she and her siblings would find treats inside their shoes.
While there are many legends about the saint, the Church knows that after being orphaned at a young age, he dedicated his life to God and used his inheritance to help the poor, sick and suffering. While bishop of Myra, he earned a reputation for his generosity, love for children and concern for sailors.
A good way to honor or celebrate his feast day (Dec 6) might be making an anonymous donation or secretly giving a small gift to someone in need.
St. Nicholas, pray that we love all of God's children generously.
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