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The modern world lies under a pervasive sense of anguish, of being abandoned, or at least experiencing God as absent. Yet events that seem to turn our lives upside down and inside out are part of God's redemptive plan, not only for us, but for the world in which we live. God may be preparing a great awakening for the world, if God can find enough people to cooperate in this mysterious plan.
- Thomas Keating
(How will you cooperate in God's plan this day?)
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1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
Lk 1:46-56
Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“The bows of the mighty are broken.” —1 Samuel 2:4
Jesus “is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted” (Lk 2:34, RNAB). He was crucified because He was believed to be advocating a revolution, although His kingdom was not of this world (Jn 18:36). Even before He was born, Mary, His mother, prophesied: “He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry He has given every good thing,
while the rich He has sent empty away” (Lk 1:52-53).
Shortly after Jesus was born, King Herod tried to kill Him, for Herod saw Jesus as a threat to his power (Mt 2:3, 13, 16). The early Church, following in the footsteps of the Lord, turned the world right side up (Acts 17:6) and was persecuted as was Jesus because it was a threat to the powers that be. Christianity eventually brought down the Roman Empire and many other dynasties. In our times, Christianity has brought down some
forms of Communism. Christians are revolutionaries in the Holy Spirit.
Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. We want to give Jesus a present for His birthday, a Christmas present. Jesus would like to have a revolution for His birthday/Christmas present — a revolution of repentance and love in our hearts leading to a revolution of evangelization and discipleship, which will overturn the culture of death and replace it with a civilization of life and love. Give Jesus what He wants for
Christmas.
Prayer: Father, I will live and die for You.
Promise: “He has shown might with His arm; He has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts.” —Lk 1:51
Praise: “O King of all the nations, the only Joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature You fashioned from the dust.”
Presentation Ministries
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Growing in Inner Freedom: A Guide for Today
- by Philip St. Romain. Liguori Publ., 1986.
20. Take Care of Your Body
You must know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within—the Spirit you have
received from God.
You are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Many of us were taught that progress in the spiritual life was contingent upon denying our bodily selves. Most of these teachings are ultimately rooted in neo-Platonic dualism, which held that the body is opposed to the human spirit. Consequently, we emphasized the life of the intellect and the heart and left the body to fend for itself.
The many Scriptural warnings concerning the dangers of the flesh should not be taken to mean that the body is evil. Rather, they are cautions against over-identifying ourselves with our bodily needs and passions to the neglect of love of God and neighbor. Scripture views the body as an essential part of our personhood; this is why we believe there will be a resurrection of the body on the last day.
A healthy body enhances one’s creative, intellectual, and spiritual energies. This truth is borne out by observing how difficult it is for people addicted to food or mood-altering chemicals to sustain mental and spiritual growth. In fact, any kind of sickness diminishes inner freedom. That is why Jesus healed the sick, and that is why one of the first considerations addressed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in his guidelines for the discernment of spirits, is the physical health
of an individual.
We are one: organism, psyche, and spirit. Therefore, we should cherish our bodies and take gentle care of its needs; for our body is a tabernacle in which the Spirit of God most surely dwells.
Suggested Practices
- Greater freedom will be yours if you quit consuming what is bad for you and begin eating a healthy diet.
- Proper exercise and adequate sleep will also do wonders for your attitude.
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