FIX MY EYES
“Fear not, I will help you.” – Is. 41:13
When I was four years old, one of my favorite things to do was to sit in my great-grandmother’s lap, look at old photo albums, and read books together. We would go through family photos, carefully turning the pages of our lives, and then she would rock me to sleep as we flipped through The Picture Book of Saints. The stories of the saints and their acts of bravery were captivating but none like the story of Saint Lucy. She was the beautiful young woman with flowing blond hair and piercing blue eyes staring back at you from the golden goblet (does anyone vividly remember that page like I do?). There was something about her that stood out, perhaps it was the eyes or maybe it was her beauty, but something kept drawing me to her and to that specific page in the book.
As I’ve gotten older, the story of Saint Lucy continues to inspire me. She was a fearless young woman who lived a life for Jesus, even to the point of losing her sight and to death, but in the midst of all of that mess, she never lost sight of heaven.
This Advent season, how are we being invited to be more like Saint Lucy? How are we called to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the holidays and fix our gaze on the feast awaiting us in heaven? How is Saint Lucy inspiring us?
Let us ask Saint Lucy to help us keep our eyes on Jesus, to focus our attention on the birth of a King, instead of being fearful and worrying about the chaos surrounding us. I’ve figured out why Saint Lucy continues to inspire me. It is her fearlessness in living her faith and giving Jesus control entirely. My hope is to live a life with zeal like hers, to not be afraid of the mess, but when I am, let the words of Jesus speak to my timid heart, “Fear not, I will help you.”
Let us continue this season of Advent, with the fearless hope of Heaven and with our eyes waiting for the King.
Natalie Nathan