One Minute Reflection – 15 December – Wednesday of the Third week of Advent, Readings: Zephaniah 3: 1-2, 9-13; Psalms 34: 2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23; Luke 7:19-23
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard – the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” – Luke 7:23
REFLECTION – “The sun’s light as seen by our bodily eyes proclaims the spiritual Sun, the “Sun of Justice” (Mal 3,20). This was truly the gentlest of Suns to have arisen on those who, at that time, had the happiness of being His disciples and of seeing Him with their own eyes, while He was sharing man’s life, as though He were an ordinary man. And yet, by nature, He was also truly God, which was why He was capable of restoring sight to the blind, of making the lame to walk and the deaf to hear; He cleansed lepers and, with a word, brought back the dead to life.
And now, too, there is truly nothing sweeter than to fix our spiritual eyes on Him, so as to contemplate and picture to ourselves, His inexpressible, divine beauty. There is nothing sweeter than to be enlightened and made beautiful, by this participation and communion in the Light, to have one’s heart softened, one’s soul sanctified and to be filled with a holy joy all the days of this present life… Truly, this Sun of Justice is, for those who gaze at it, the transmitter of joy according to the prophecy of David: “The just rejoice and exult before God, they are glad and rejoice!” And again: “Exult you just in the Lord, praise from the upright is fitting!” (Ps 68[67],4; 33[32],1).” – St Gregory of Agrigente (c 559-c 630) Bishop (Commentary on Ecclesiastes, 10, 2).
PRAYER – Almighty God, let the splendour of Your glory dawn in our hearts. May the coming of Your only Son dispel all darkness and reveal that we are children of Light. By the care and love of the Mother of Your Son and our Mothers, may we be ever strong as we carry our own crosses after Jesus, our Master and our Saviour. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.
AnaStpaul 