These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Jesus said to the crowds: "To what shall I compare this generation? For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by her works." (Mt 11:16-19)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121523.cfm
A friend of tax collectors and sinners . . . indeed. The One whose coming we await invites us to sit at His table and fills us with rich food and choice wine and the gift of Himself, and then invites us to satisfy the deepest hungers of the human heart so that everyone can find a place at His table.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water. (Is 41:13-20)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121423.cfm
If God will not forsake the afflicted and the needy . . . will we? Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591), and his mentor Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) suffered greatly at the hands of the church. Yet at the same time, both of them spent their lives renewing the church through their commitment to prayer and contemplation. Today’s picture is a drawing of the crucifixion by John of the Cross.
Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. (Is 40:25-31)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121323.cfm
Run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. The prophecies of Isaiah are filled with words of hope and the promise of the God who comes to save us. Saint Lucy (283-304) is one of the virgin martyrs of the early church. Her story is one of great courage. She is the patron of all who suffer from diseases of the eye. Before the calendar reform (1582) Saint Lucy’s Day was the winter solstice.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121223.cfm
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a sign of hope to us who await the coming of our God. As we approach the 500th anniversary of the apparitions to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin in December, 1531, we sing the great hymn of praise: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed!”
The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. (Is 35:1-10)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121123.cfm
Roses in December . . . tonight in many parishes the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe will begin. Over 300 years before Lourdes and Fatima, in 1531, la Morenita appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on the Hill of Tepeyac in what is now Mexico City. The message: “I am your loving Mother.” That message continues to resound in the hearts of all people of faith.
