December 6, 2009: 2nd Sunday of Advent

Russian Icon Instaplanet Saint Nicholas with Saints. (The Elsner Collection) We could learn a lot from St. Nicholas who expressed love in very practical ways.

St. Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians his prayer for them: that love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

Last week I mentioned that Advent focuses on Jesus’ return at the end of time as well as on his coming as a human being, the reason for our Christmas celebration. When Paul says “so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless”, he is referring to the end of time. Just as St. Paul prayed, in last week’s Scripture passage, for an increase of love among the Thessalonians, so he prays in today’s Scripture passage for an increase of love for the people at Philippi. Surely he would pray for an increase of love for us as well. If we grow as loving people, everything else in our lives will be as it should be.

Action:

Today is also the feast of St. Nicholas. You can “Google” right now to learn about the life of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas expressed love in very practical ways. Give some thought to how your love for others can be expressed in practical ways as well.