Remember the I Love Lucy show? Remember Lucy and sidekick, Ethel, in the chocolate factory? And Lucy with a stout Italian peasant woman stomping grapes with their feet? Lucy and the woman end up wrestling to the bottom of the vat covered in purple grapes. Not just their feet but their whole bodies were covered in purple.
Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans, says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”
If you ever encountered Mother Teresa of Calcutta up close, you could not help noticing how remarkable her feet were. They spent decades in sandals traveling around the globe and around the slums of Calcutta. Her feet were misshapen and showed the wear and tear of years of exposure. Still, there was something beautiful about those mangled and misshapen feet that carried the good news of Jesus Christ, and of love, goodness, and truth to every corner of the earth.
Friends, on this Feast of Saint Andrew (the brother of Peter,) our feet are set on a new journey into this precious season of Advent, and a new year of grace! The Apostles’ feet carried them to Rome, Spain, Greece, India. They brought the Good News of the Lord Jesus with them everywhere their feet would carry them. They were on fire with the Good News because they met and were embraced by the love of God in the flesh, in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All the apostles died for Jesus except for John,. He prepared them for this by washing their feet at the Last Supper. John, too, would have died for Jesus. Instead, he lived a long life for Jesus. When his feet were no longer able to carry him into the Eucharist, young men would carry him into the Beloved Community. In the end, all he could say was, “Children, let us love one another.”
Friends, this Advent, at the start of a new year of grace, how about giving your feet a rest, by kneeling as a family in prayer at the end of the day. I strongly suggest you try praying the Rosary. It will change your life, your family, and your home. Your children will thank you; your spouse will thank you, even your feet will thank you!
“The Family That Prays Together Stays Together.” Amen.
- Father Willy's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
-
To view Rosary prayer and Mass streaming live, please visit our Facebook page at 11:30 am EST, Monday – Friday. Please invite your loved ones to join us too! (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
