Saint Nicholas

Sermon: ADVENT 1, THURSDAY, DAILY MASS:
PSALM 118:19-24; ISAIAH 26:1-6; MATTHEW 7:21-27
(Evening Mass)

Tonight we celebrate Saint Nicholas. You may know Nicholas as Santa Claus, or even the patron saint of children, but he's also the patron saint of seafarers and sailors.

There are many seafarers and sailors on my mother's side of my family, fishermen, lobstermen, people that work on boats, people that sail boats. I'm not a professional, but I am also a pretty good sailor. Onoe thing that is very important when you are sailing is to make sure the boat is ship-shape. No holes or cracks, everything tightened and taught, lines checked, etc. The wind may change and the sea may be rough, but if the basics have been covered, you are generally in good shape.

Our Gospel tonight is one of my favorites. Jesus speaks of importance of building on a firm foundation. Like a well prepared ship, a house built on a firm foundations can better weather any storm.

I beleive that living as a Christian begins with the firm foundation of faith in the resurrection. God's love, I think, is best shown in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That love that conquors death cannot be shaken. Going forth into the world with faith in that love makes a difference. As Saint Paul says, nothing can conquor the love of God, not sin, not sickness, not poverty, not even death.

May the love of God so fill our hearts that we may have the strength to weather the difficulties we face in our own lives, and let us, following the example of Saint Nicholas, spread the knowledge of the gift of God's love to all those around us.