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The One Who breathes into our hearts the heavenly hope, will not deceive or fail us when we press forward to its realization.
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- Feast of the Presentation of the
Lord
MAL 3:1-4; PS 24:7, 8, 9, 10; HEB 2:14-18
LK 2:22-40
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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- from dailyscripture.net
What do you hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the kingdom of heaven and everlasting life and happiness with our heavenly
Father. The Lord Jesus has won for us a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). The Holy Spirit gives hope to all who place their trust in the promises of God. God never fails because his promises are true and he is faithful. The hope which God places within us through the gift of the Spirit enables us to persevere with confident trust in God even in the face of trails, setbacks, and challenges that may come our way.
Is there anything holding you back from giving God your unqualified trust and submission to his will for your life? Allow the Lord Jesus to flood your heart with his peace, joy, and love. And offer to God everything you have and desire - your life, family, friends, health, honor, wealth, and future. If you seek his kingdom first he will give
you everything you need to know, love, and serve him now and enjoy him forever.
"Lord Jesus, you are my hope and my life. May I never cease to place all my trust in you. Fill me with the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit that I may boldly point others to your saving presence and words of eternal life."
Paperback, Kindle
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God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.) ____________ Chapter 6: The Journey to Individuation: The Ego-Self Relationship The Open, Individuating Ego An open, individuation Ego demonstrates the following characteristics:
- It is open to receiving and working with information from the Secret, Blind and Unknown quadrants (parts of ourselves). This openness might be only slight, at first, but improves as we become more confident in our ability to understand and make decisions about this material.
- It is less defensive. Eventually, we learn that
even the most harsh criticism from others concerning out Blind side cannot really hurt us. We can sort through what they say, keeping what fits and disregarding the rest. Their feedback is just that: feedback. We get to decide for ourselves if it is helpful or not.
- It is more competent in living authentically. Being more attentive, intelligent, reasonable and
responsible with regard to the information from the quadrants enables us to become even more authentically engaged with other people and circumstances.
- It holds convictions and values that are meaningful, and sets boundaries concerning what is allowed in and out of one’s field of consciousness. Without some clarity concerning values, it is difficult to set
boundaries. The open, individuating Ego has come to sufficient clarity concerning its values as to be able to make decisions concerning how it will and will not act.
- It has a deeper grasp of one’s aptitudes and natural inclinations. Sometimes it is other people who help us to see this; feedback need not always be critical. The more we know what we’re good at
and enjoy doing, the more we come to be in touch with a general direction for our lives and corresponding vocational possibilities.
- It is not as focused on self-image or Persona values as the basis of its identity. Although self-image still reflects something of who one is, the Ego knows from its openness to the unconscious that there are deep, mysterious
realms shaping one’s life that are also part of who one is. One becomes less inclined to define oneself and more comfortable living with mystery.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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