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Isaiah 25:6-10
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
The Word of the Lord.
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The Christmas spirit is everywhere.
Carols are being sung, Christmas trees are up, people are checking off their gift list, shopping ‘til they drop. (Or, my case, buying easily – too easily – with one click.)
Behind all of the gift wrapping and cheer is the story of the Saint who started it all, Nicholas.
Saint Nick, who lived in the fourth century, was the bishop of Myra, Turkey. Little is known about him beyond a single story which has long catapulted him into the religious and cultural imaginations of people around the world.
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There was a poor man who had three daughters. Each of his daughters was to be given in marriage. But without a dowry to offer, no husband would accept them. Their hope became so dim that the father was contemplating selling his daughters into slavery.
Saint Nick got wind of this and sold his own possessions, took the money, went late at night to the man’s house, and tossed three bags of gold through an open window.
Although the gesture was meant be an anonymous act of charity, Nick’s good deed has, in a sense, gone viral. We’ve embraced and relived his generosity ever since.
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The heart of the Christmas celebration is neither Saint Nick, nor his cultural cousin, Santa Claus, but who Saint Nick points to: Jesus Christ.
At Christmas, we celebrate the goodness of God, who gave everything he had, sending his only begotten Son who lived and died among us, and was raised from the dead. As Saint Paul says, “By his wounds, we were healed.”
As the countdown to Christmas continues, may we take a moment each day to thank the Lord for his charity, and like Saint Nick, pay it forward.
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Image credits: (1) Crosswalk.com (2) Catholic News Agency (3) Catholic Answers