Today the Church sets before us the witness of one of the early virgins and martyrs – St. Lucy. Many stories and legends surround this Saint, but in some way all remind us of her joyful fidelity in encounter with suffering. St. Lucy was truly “light” for others. We’ve often heard that the eyes are the windows of the soul; I picture St. Lucy as one whose eyes mirrored the joy in her soul.
Somehow each of us is called to see with the eyes of God rather than the eyes of selfishness and sin. I think of how Jesus saw not a short, obnoxious tax collector but a curious seeker of God. Rather than an unclean woman afflicted with a hemorrhage, he was able to see one who longed for healing and life. His vision of an impetuous fisherman enabled that same fisherman to one day lead the Church.
Our view of others has great powers of transformation. Our call on this Advent feast is to lighten our world by seeing others as God sees them, by allowing our vision to transform, and by joyfully seeing all that we encounter as gifts of God.
Who will your vision bless this day?
2 Responses
A great and wonderful task you lay before us. One that asks us to grow in our spirituality, learning more of God and his amazing ways. Thank you! I try to do this treating others not only as I wish to be treated but also as God would. It can be a,challenge at times, making us reach down sometimes reaching up in prayer, yet growing always. I did not know this about St.Lucy, sh don’t tell my religious ed instructors;-). Being a divorced woman who lives by that sacred vow, to love honor and cherish in sickness and health in todays world is not easy when everyone is telling you their God says he wants us to be happy. Well sometimes you want to tell them off, instead I reach down deep and say, “for you that maybe the case, for me it is not.” I now have someone else to pray to for guidance:-) thank you!
Kathy, thank you for sharing your reflections. In my mind, holiness is about thinking, feeling, living and loving as Jesus did. I think St. Lucy did it well!