According to legend, St Lucy was the daughter of a wealthy family who was brought up as a Christian, and, having resisted the advances of a pagan suitor, was arrested, tortured and killed. Her feast, situated near the shortest day of the year, is celebrated in Sweden and elsewhere as a festival of light.
Reflect on the Mass readings for the Third Sunday of Advent with this extract from our book Prepare the Way of the Lord.
Who is this man Jesus? And why is there a continuing fascination with him even when many people think Christianity is in decline? The basic facts of his life are agreed by most historians. This is not just mythology or Christian propaganda. We’ve got more hard evidence about the life of Jesus than we have for almost anyone in the ancient world.
St John Henry Newman wrote that ‘there is no difference in kind between her and us, though an inconceivable difference of degree. She and we are both simply saved by the grace of Christ.’ But with Mary, the manner in which she was saved was exceptional: from the first moment of her existence, she was freed from the stain of Original Sin.
St Ambrose was chosen to be his city’s bishop, much to his surprise – not only was he a layman, but he was also not yet baptised: he was a catechumen preparing for baptism. He proved to be an outstanding bishop, not afraid to challenge the actions of the emperor and uncompromising in his struggle against Arianism.
Most Catholics probably don’t even know that the ubiquitous Father Christmas/Santa Claus figure has Christian origins, but St Nicholas really existed – he was a Bishop of the 4th century, known for his good works, his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his concern for the poor. He was a great defender of the Holy Trinity, and an opponent of the Arian heresy.
