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Message of the Day
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Jesus came!--and came for me.
Simple words! and yet expressing
Depths of holy mystery,
Depths of wondrous love and blessing.
Holy Spirit, make me see
All His
coming means for me;
Take the things of Christ, I pray,
Show them to my heart today.
- Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)
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Readings of the Day
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1 John 2:3-11
Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3,
5b-6 Luke 2:22-35 When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of
turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he
said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people
Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid
bare.’
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“This Child...[is] a Sign that will be opposed.” —Luke 2:34
Now that Christmas Day has passed, Santa and his elves have disappeared, to be
forgotten until next November (or October). Jesus, however, remains. He was opposed in the recent months before His birthday. The “politically correct” of the world opposed Him by refusing to mention His name for months, using only the term “holidays” rather than the term which bears His name, “Christmas.” He was in effect opposed by Santa, who was used by the world to distract millions of people who might otherwise have prepared to welcome Jesus on His birthday.
Jesus was opposed by His Jewish king, Herod, shortly after His birth and was nearly assassinated (Mt 2:13-18). He and His parents were so opposed that they had to leave their own country as refugees simply to stay alive. As an adult, He was opposed with ridicule, mockery, plots, attempted arrests, betrayal, and, ultimately, being crucified. Jesus is still being opposed vehemently to this day (see Heb 13:8). Nonetheless, Jesus prefers being coldly opposed to being ignored (Rv 3:16ff). Jesus is more than “able” (Heb 7:25) to deal with those who oppose Him. As the old saying goes, “opposites attract.” At the height of opposition, when hanging in agony on the cross, Jesus attracted everyone to Himself (Jn 12:32). Christians, don’t be discouraged by those who vigorously oppose Jesus. They may be opposing Him now, but Jesus
is relentlessly attracting them to Himself, as He did with Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1ff). Pray and fast for “the downfall and the rise” of Jesus’ opponents (Lk 2:34). Prayer: Jesus, “revealing Light” (Lk 2:32), “saving” Lord (Lk 2:30), bring all my non-believing family members to faith in You. Promise: “The darkness is over and the real Light begins to shine.” —1 Jn
2:8 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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Dilexi Te: On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ, by Pope Francis (completed by Pope Leo XIII), 2025.
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/20241024-enciclica-dilexit-nos.html
CHAPTER ONE
THE WORLD CAN CHANGE, BEGINNING WITH THE HEART
28. It is only by starting from the heart that our communities will succeed in uniting and reconciling differing minds and wills, so that the Spirit can guide us in unity as
brothers and sisters. Reconciliation and peace are also born of the heart. The heart of Christ is “ecstasy”, openness, gift and encounter. In that heart, we learn to relate to one another in wholesome and happy ways, and to build up in this world God’s kingdom of love and justice. Our hearts, united with the heart of Christ, are capable of working this social miracle. 29. Taking the heart seriously, then, has consequences for
society as a whole. The Second Vatican Council teaches that, “every one of us needs a change of heart; we must set our gaze on the whole world and look to those tasks we can all perform together in order to bring about the betterment of our race”. [20] For “the imbalances affecting the world today are in fact a symptom of a deeper imbalance rooted in the human heart”. [21] In pondering the tragedies afflicting our world, the Council urges us to return to the heart. It explains that human beings
“by their interior life, transcend the entire material universe; they experience this deep interiority when they enter into their own heart, where God, who probes the heart, awaits them, and where they decide their own destiny in the sight of God”. [22] |
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