Feast of St Nicholas, the Santa Claus.

"Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing." (Isaiah 35: 4 - 7).

Monday 6th December 2021 of the 2nd Week of Advent is  the feast of St Nicholas (4th century). St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in present day Turkey. He was at the Council of Nicaea and signed the famous document, the Nicene Creed. His deep concern for the poor and needy netted him the title of Santa Claus throughout the centuries.

In the first Reading today we hear some of those great prophecies and divine promises from Isaiah we tend to brush aside. Instead of hearing this word of God with unbelief, why don't ask the Lord: "When will these things happen?"
Jesus gave an answer to a mystic to a similar question:
"Trust Me with the TIMING of ALL THINGS." Personally, I am deeply satisfied with the answer.

In the Gospel Reading, we see the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy:
"Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”  He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God." (Luke 5: 23 - 25).

In the healing of the paralytic man, Jesus performed two miracles. He first healed the soul, which is the most important and then healed the body in front of the religious leaders.

In the Book of Revelation, the Spirit declares "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." What Jesus has done once in His earthly ministry, He continues to do today through the Church.

"In every priest I would speak and act, delivering souls from the powers of darkness and healing the sick—but most of all, I desire to offer myself in every priest and to assume every priest into My own offering to the Father." (IN SINU JESU, November 29, 2008 After First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com