Dear Fathers, Friends in Christ,
Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11
Psalm 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16, 18-19
Alleluia: Luke 3:4, 6
Matthew 17:9a, 10-13
Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Lucy, who was an early Christian martyr. She is the patron saint for those who are blind or have eye trouble, and her very name, "Lucy," means "light."
The light in today's first reading is all about flames and fire. It tells us how Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, went up to heaven in a dramatic blaze of glory, in a "whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses." The light of such an event must have been unbearably blinding!
Christ, on the other hand, came down from heaven in a quiet and hidden way, during the dark of night. He was born in a humble stable, to a young girl named Mary. Even though the Son of God chose to come into the world largely unnoticed, nonetheless, He is the Light of the World!
O Lord Jesus,
Light of the World, light my way today!
Give me light for my little part of the world.
Help me to see what You would have me do today,
Who You would ask me to see,
What to say, and how to help. Amen.
Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Bendigo
Australia
