Friday of the First Week of Advent

Readings of the Day 

Many of us growing up might remember being told that we shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves, for doing so perhaps implied an inflated ego or vanity.

I don’t know if Jesus was taught this by Mary and Joseph or not, but in the gospels, Jesus doesn’t want to draw a lot of attention to Himself. This is evident in today’s gospel, when after healing the blind man Jesus says in very stern words: “See that no one knows about this.” But His words fell on deaf ears. The verse continues with: But they went out and spread word of Him through all that land.

Jesus didn’t want to be known as some great wonder-worker. He wanted attention drawn not to Himself, but to the Kingdom of God which He proclaimed by His words and deeds. That Kingdom and Reign of God was at the heart and center of His Mission.

While our Development folks at Catholic Charities may not want to hear this - and I am certainly kidding here -we do not want our programs, outreach efforts, and good works to simply draw attention to ourselves as an agency. Like Jesus, we want attention drawn to the Kingdom of God breaking in through our works, and into the lives of so many who reach out to us. Yes, we need to be visible and known for the excellent services we provide, but this is not an end in itself. We exist and do what we do for the sake of the Kingdom our communities and nation long for, now more than ever during this past year of Covid, racial tensions, and a bitter divisive electoral cycle.

Our Catholic Charities agencies are at the service of this longed-for Reign of God – a longing that today’s words from Isaiah may become real in the lives of so many struggling people: On that day, the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Let us then not be shy to draw attention to the Reign of God Jesus proclaimed and spread word of its inbreaking through all the land.

Deacon Lucio Caruso is Director of Mission at Catholic Charities of Louisville.

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