Second Sunday of Advent--How's Your New Year Going?

The Advent season includes the feasts of many popular saints, including St. Nicholas, St. Ambrose, St. Juan Diego, and St. Lucy.  As I mentioned in my post about St. Nicholas, I didn't learn much about the lives of the saints until I was an adult. I recognized St. Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day because they have been commercialized, but I didn't know much beyond hearts and shamrocks.  As an adult, I became interested in the lives of the saints. A friend loaned me a book about St. Catherine of Siena, and I read another book about St. Elizabeth of Hungary. My husband bought Treasury of Women Saints for my birthday one year. The more I read about these virtuous Catholics, the more I realized they were human beings like me who were called to a deep love of our Lord and his Church. My love for the saints grew when I had the opportunity to edit the Saint of the Day channel on CatholicExchange.com for several years during which time I got to know the feasts of many saints and to learn about those who aren't as well-known.

The season of Advent begins a new liturgical year for Catholics, and in the second week, we meet St. John the Baptist telling us to repent. In his homily at this weekend's Mass, one of the beloved friars at our Franciscan parish spoke of repentance and he used the lives and words of several saints to instruct and guide us. First, he mentioned St. Augustine of Hippo, and his cheeky comment from before his conversion asking God to give him chastity and continence, "but not just yet." We know that God gave him those gifts and many more as he became a great saint and one of the first four Doctors of the Church. Another saint whose words Father mentioned in his homily was St. Teresa of Avila. St. Teresa compared remorse and repentance.  These ideas make a wonderful "examination of conscience." Remorse is a deep, but brief, sorrow for wrongdoing. Repentance, on the other hand, recognizes the evil and moves forward to change and not repeat the wrongdoing.

"I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you." Ez 36:25
Photo credit: Karen Ford copyright 2013

How many times have I experienced deep remorse, gone to confession, done penance, gone home and committed the same sin, and returned to the confessional to repeat the same confession? Have I truly repented of that sin? "Not just yet."

God knows our fallen nature. He forgives us as many times as we run to him and beg forgiveness. But we must not be like the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18:21-35 who begged the king for mercy and was then unmerciful to his fellow servant. He had remorse for not paying the king back what he owed--for fear of his just punishment--but he clearly hadn't repented. Jesus teaches us,

His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart. (Mt 32-35)

During this holy season of Advent, let us not be remorseful, making temporary resolutions. Let us grow in holiness, learning from the saints, seeking to be truly repentant, "to avoid sin and to amend my life. Amen."

St. Nicholas Day Traditions

I'll admit it.  I didn't fill my children's smelly shoes with treats last night for St. Nicholas Day. Another, "What kind of Catholic homeschool mom are you?" moment.  The shoe tradition was not something I grew up with.  In fact, I didn't know much about saints' feast days or even that Mass was offered every single day until I was an adult.  Add to this fact that I'm not a crafty, decorating, fun type of person, and you have empty shoes on December 6. I'm really more of a "sharing stories" type of mom.  Telling stories has the bonus of no clutter.

Several of my friends posted on Facebook that the shoes were filled and ready for joyous children to discover them this morning. Honestly, I love the idea of celebrating St. Nicholas' feast day, and I read the reflection about St. Nicholas of Myra in our saints of the day book yesterday since I knew we had a busy morning scheduled for today.  But somehow the "put it into practice" side of me isn't making any headway with the shoe tradition. 

The St. Nicholas Center offers lots of St. Nicholas information, including ways to celebrate and descriptions of traditions from around the world.  As my father's side of the family is of Hungarian descent, I took a look at the Hungarian customs. According to the site: 

Postcard, Hungary
Rosenthal Collection

Copyright © 2002-2013 St. Nicholas Center

On December 5th children in Hungary carefully polish their best boot and put it on the windowsill or in front of the door to be filled by St. Nicholas, Szent Mikulás or Miklós, sometime during the night. The good bishop comes with a big sack full of presents and a large record book with children's good and bad deeds.

He used to come with two helpers: a good angel who helps give out presents and a bad Krampus devil who makes mischief. Now it seems mostly to be the Krampusz.In the night Szent Mikulás secretly leaves little bags filled with candies, tangerines, oranges, walnuts, apples, chocolate Mikulás figures, peanuts, and small presents for children to find in the morning. Naughty children find twigs painted gold or a wooden spoon. Most children get some of each as no one is all good or all bad.

Even adults may participate, though they no longer seem to polish their shoes.

Perhaps I will read the various traditions with my children.  Maybe when they are grown and have their own children, they will be inspired to shine shoes and fill them with treats.  I can plant the seed, and maybe someday buy treats for grandchildren.  For today, I will offer "Happy St. Nicholas' Day" greetings and share a story or two.  

St. Nicholas of Myra, patron of sailors, children, and Russia, and a wonderful model of a giving Advent saint, guide us and lead us to the Christ Child. Amen.