Readings: Isaiah 29:17-24, PS 27:1, 4, 13-14, Matthew 9:27-31
Invitation to Prayer: Dearest Father, please fill my shoes with feet that desire to walk humbly in Your way and act in love on the concerns of my brothers and sisters.
Reflection: No matter the weather outside, the prophet Isaiah is passing along a forecast for God that one fine day is coming, especially for people who are deaf, blind, lowly and poor. In the Gospel of Matthew, two men who are blind are gaining their sight, thanks to Jesus’ intervention. And in some homes this morning, children found small gifts in their shoes if families are celebrating the generosity of St. Nicholas.
Sounds like a good day ahead. Except for one thing. In both passages someone had to first note the existence of people who are deaf, blind, lowly and/or poor and understand how those conditions impact their dignity, livelihoods and their family members. Someone has to do something about it. Jesus did. That’s what brings about the happy anticipation and the rejoicing ahead for that fine day.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to see what is going on around us, to pay attention to how people are faring. It doesn’t appear that Scripture is giving us a pass on our responsibility for people in harm’s way by simply acknowledging people are in bad straits. No, we have to do something. We are called to act on Jesus’ behalf – be his hands and feet on earth as St. Teresa of Avila urges us.
We have a lovely tradition of filling children’s shoes with sweets in honor of St. Nicholas, but we may have forgotten that the origin of that tradition lies in a social justice ill that called for some intervention.
As the story goes, St. Nicholas understood what was required of him when he learned that three girls were going to be forced into prostitution. (We call it sex trafficking today.) He is said to have dropped off three bags of gold to give them dowries. He applied his faith to change their lives.
For any of us who received some treat in our shoes, we would do well to remember that we walk in the footsteps of saints and we are to show our love of God and neighbors by listening and doing something when we hear the cry of people who are poor, lowly, deaf and blind, because that’s what followers of Jesus do. They pull on their shoes and go respond as Jesus would.
Prayer: Jesus, give me the courage and vision to act when I hear the cry of the poor, to open my hands and move my feet in a direction that loves my neighbor.
Closing: This day draw closer to your neighbor and act in a way that opens their eyes to see the love of Jesus working through you.
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