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God built heaven and earth to be the dwelling place of the human race. But He also built the human body and soul to make them His own abode, so that He might dwell therein and rest there as in a well kept house. . . In their houses, people carefully accumulate their wealth. The Lord in His house, our soul and body, amasses and stores up the heavenly riches of the Spirit.
- Pseudo-Macarius, "Forty-Ninth Homily" -
(What heavenly riches has God been storing up within you lately?)
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Mal 3:1-4; Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10; Heb 2:14-18
Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
Band you yourself a sword will pierceB
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“Who will endure the day of His coming?” —Malachi 3:2
It was a normal day in the Temple. A first-born Baby was brought into the Temple to be presented to the Lord for consecration (Lk 2:22-23), as had been occurring for centuries. Then the normal day abruptly changed. God showed up in a new way. “Suddenly there will come to the Temple the Lord” (Mal 3:1). Who can endure His coming? (Mal 3:2) Who will be ready to greet the Lord? Will God come into our lives and once
again have to ask, “Why was no one there when I came?” (Is 50:2)
Amazingly, the prophets Simeon and Anna were ready for the coming of Jesus into the Temple (see Lk 2:25, 36). They had experienced many “normal” days. They could have relaxed and wavered in readiness. Yet, they persevered in hope and were “ready to greet Him when He” came. Daily, they sought the Lord in prayer and fasting (see Lk 2:37). When the moment came, they were ready with words of prophecy and
exhortation.
Present yourself daily to the Lord as an act of consecration and presentation. Will you let the Lord refine you, give you the gifts of the Spirit, and remove the dross from your life? Will you be ready each day, or will you relax and miss out on His visitation?
Prayer: Father, I am all Yours. Do in me whatever You must in order to do through me whatever You will.
Promise: “Since He was Himself tested through what He suffered, He is able to help those who are tempted.” —Heb 2:18
Praise: The Presentation of the Lord fulfills multiple Old Testament prophecies. “I will make You a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Is 49:6).
Presentation Ministries
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Growing in Inner Freedom: A Guide for Today
- by Philip St. Romain. Liguori Publ., 1986.
26. Learn to Listen
Take heed, therefore, how you hear: to the one who has, more will be given; and he who has not, will lose even the little he thinks he has (Luke 8:18).
An ancient oriental parable tells of how a great teacher, upon serving tea to his students, filled their cups to overflowing. “Watch out! There is no more room in the cups!” the students objected. The master smiled respectfully, saying, “In the same way, I can put nothing in your minds because you are so full of yourselves.”
This parable and the opening Scripture quotation make a strong point about listening and openness. Many times we are not really listening to the other, but only waiting for our turn to talk. How can we receive others’ gifts or learn anything new when we make no room for their words in our perceptions? If we do not listen—especially to God’s Word—even the little wisdom we have will stagnate and die!
We need to practice certain skills if we are to understand other people’s point of view.
Suggested Practices
- Prepare to listen not only to the words but to the person behind the words. Watch the other’s eyes, facial expressions, and body language, ever attentive to the meaning in the words.
- Learn to validate. Let people know that you hear what they are feeling, even if they have not used feeling words. “Sounds like you were (feeling word),” you say, not to advise or judge, but in simple acceptance. Listening and validating are often the best ways to love people.
- Determine to empathize. Try to feel what the other is feeling. “I understand that feeling,” you say. It may also be appropriate to share times when you, too, had a similar experience. Such empathy is the antidote to loneliness.
- Try to clarify. If you do not understand where persons are coming from, ask them to define what they mean by certain words, or check their assumptions and information. Many arguments have more to do with semantics than with values.
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