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Message of the Day
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Love means to love that which is unlovable, or it is no virtue at all;
- forgiving means to pardon that which is unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all.
- G. K. Chesterton What would this mean for you today?
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Readings of the Day
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Malachi 3:1-4
Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10
Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 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.’
There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they had done
everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with
him. USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“My eyes have witnessed Your saving Deed displayed for all the peoples to see: a revealing Light to the Gentiles, the Glory of Your people Israel.” —Luke 2:30-32
This day has traditionally been called “Candlemas” because at
the presentation of the Lord in the temple Simeon called Jesus “a revealing Light to the Gentiles.” Candles and light serve the purpose of revealing. We don’t turn on the lights to see the lights but rather to see what the light reveals. Candles reveal by being burned up, consumed. So it is with us. Jesus calls us “the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). We live and die to reveal Jesus (2 Cor 4:10).
Prayer: Father, I will live as a child of the light and produce “every kind
of goodness and justice and truth” (Eph 5:9). 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 TWO
ACTIONS AND WORDS OF LOVE
32. The heart of Christ, as the symbol of the deepest and most personal source of his love for us, is the very core of the initial preaching of the Gospel. It stands at the origin of
our faith, as the wellspring that refreshes and enlivens our Christian beliefs. Jesus' Gaze 39. The Gospel tells us that a rich man came up to Jesus, full of idealism yet lacking in the strength needed to change his life. Jesus then “looked at him” (Mk 10:21). Can you imagine that moment, that encounter between his eyes and those of Jesus? If Jesus calls you and summons you for a mission, he first looks at you,
plumbs the depths of your heart and, knowing everything about you, fixes his gaze upon you. So it was when, “as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers... and as he went from there, he saw two other brothers” (Mt 4:18, 21). 40. Many a page of the Gospel illustrates how attentive Jesus was to individuals and above all to their problems and needs. We are told that, “when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed
and helpless” (Mt 9:36). Whenever we feel that everyone ignores us, that no one cares what becomes of us, that we are of no importance to anyone, he remains concerned for us. To Nathanael, standing apart and busy about his own affairs, he could say, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you” (Jn 1:48). |
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