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Friday, December 3, 2021

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St. Francis Xavier


Isaiah 29:17-24
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
Matthew 9:27-31

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“in your light we see light” (ps 36:10)

“As Jesus moved on from there, two blind men came after Him crying out, ‘Son of David, have pity on us!’ ” —Matthew 9:27

Among other things, Christmas is a celebration of Christ, the Light of the world (see Jn 1:5). But what if we cannot see the Light of life (Jn 8:12) and the Light of Christmas? We must be healed of our blindness this Advent. The Lord promises: “Out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see” (Is 29:18). Jesus will touch our eyes, and we will recover our sight (Mt 9:29-30). This happens when we by faith (see Mt 9:29) accept God’s grace to repent of our sins, which have blinded us to the Lord.

Imagine going through Christmas pretending you see the Christmas lights and candles. When others would remark on the beauty of the lights, you would pretend to agree but not have any idea what you were not seeing. So many people go through Christmas in an even worse condition. They use the word “Christmas” without seeing what it means. They see the manger scene with their physical eyes but are blinded to its significance. They sing “O come, let us adore Him,” but are blinded to the divinity of Christ, which makes Him adorable. We need an Advent healing from spiritual blindness to see and celebrate the Christmas light.

Jesus, You opened my eyes at Baptism. Touch my eyes and renew my Baptism to see You, the Light.

Prayer:  Father, “I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see” (from the song “Amazing Grace”).

Promise:  “They shall keep My name holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob, and be in awe of the God of Israel. Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction.” —Is 29:23-24

Praise:  St. Francis Xavier evangelized in Japan and India. He and St. Thérèse of Lisieux are co-patrons of the missions.

Reference:  (For a related teaching on Spiritual Blindness, listen to, download or order our CD 65-1 or DVD 65 on our website.)

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from December 01/2021 through January 31, 2022 Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 5, 2021"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.