HERE I AM LORD…
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop known for his kindness and care for the poor. He came from a wealthy family and used his inheritance to help people who were sick or in need. He suffered imprisonment for his faith and, upon his release, increased his efforts as a protector of those in need.
The feast of St. Nicolas was a special day growing up in our household. When we went to bed on December 5, all five of my siblings and I put our shoes out in the living room, and magically the next morning they were filled with candy. It was a lovely Advent tradition, a precursor to Christmas. It is a practice I continued with my own children and one they have honored with their children. It comes from a story about Nicolas putting coins in the shoes of a poor man so he would have the money to offer a dowry for his daughters.
I have a special fondness for this saint as his feast day is my birthday and as I reflected on today’s readings, I was struck with the theme of being available, going out among the people to share the word of God, to cure the sick and to offer peace. All of these are what Nicolas was known for, and part of my prayer on this day is to be more like this man, who trusted in God enough to give up wealth and the power that came with it, to be a beacon of hope for those who had little hope.
I pray that God will grant me, for another year, the strength to be available to others in need and to have the wisdom to live in a way that reflects peace. As we move into this second week of Advent, the words of today’s psalm are my prayer for the week: “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.”
Anne Hansen