We have been hearing passages from the first Chapter of Luke in the last days of the Advent season. Today, the day before our Christmas Eve mass, we hear about the birth of John the Baptist, since John’s life and Jesus’ life were intrinsically linked. Before John was born, an Angel appeared to his father, Zechariah, telling him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a child, that this child would be a great prophet to appear in Ancient Israel, that this child would prepare the way for the Messiah. Zechariah was a priest in the line of Aaron, a very learned and honorable man. Yet, his response to God’s messenger was to laugh, to believe that it was impossible, for his wife was of advanced age and had been barren for years. How could this be? Zechariah did not think that God’s covenant and promises to Abraham and his descendants could be fulfilled in this way. We are called to open our hearts to the impossible and the unimaginable, for everything is possible and imaginable with God. Today, we remember God and his promises as we get ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord tomorrow at our Christmas Eve Mass
Today is the feast day of St John of Kanty, who died on this day in Poland in the year 1473. Raised in the rural countryside of Poland, he became a priest and seminary professor in the big city of Krakow, only to be thrown back into a small humble parish in the town of Olkusz. With hard work, he touched the hearts of the parishioners there and was later able to return to teaching theology. In Kraków, he was known to have a heart for helping the poor and was always ready to reach out to them, even with his own humble funds and belongings. He made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and four pilgrimages to Rome, carrying his belongings on his back. John of Kanty is remembered not only for his academic brilliance, but also for his kindness, generosity, and humility, good traits for us to aspire to during these last days of Advent.
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