Reading 1 1 Jn 2:3-11
Beloved:
The way we may be sure that we know Jesus
is to keep his commandments.
Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments
is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:
whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.
Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you
but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
And yet I do write a new commandment to you,
which holds true in him and among you,
for the darkness is passing away,
and the true light is already shining.
Whoever says he is in the light,
yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.
Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.
Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;
he walks in darkness
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6
R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty go before him;
praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Gospel lk 2:22-35
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him 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:
"Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of 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
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
Meditation: Luke 2:22-35
The Holy Spirit was upon him.” (Luke 2:25)
Does the way God works ever surprise you? If not, read this passage more closely. No doubt, Simeon was surprised when he came to the Temple that day, saw Jesus, and was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the unexpected fulfillment of a long-awaited prophecy that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. We might be a bit surprised too if we realize that Simeon became a “Spirit-filled” believer while Jesus was still an infant, well before the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles at Pentecost.
Simeon certainly wasn’t the only figure in the New Testament who was touched by the Spirit outside of normal channels. Cornelius, a centurion from Rome, was an upright and God-fearing man who had not been baptized nor heard the complete gospel, yet the Spirit fell on him and he began to praise God and speak in tongues (Acts 10:44-46)! There are dozens of Old Testament figures as well whom the Spirit used powerfully: Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samson, David, and Daniel, not to mention the prophets—all before the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost!
God is not bound by our limited expectations or by our opinion of how he should act. It can be easy to fall into a trap of thinking that he works only in certain ways, or only for those who are spiritually “mature.” Often, however, he is waiting for us to admit our weakness and to cry out: “I can’t do it, Lord!” before he will move. Humility is the key, for it is only when we are weak that we are open to his strength. It is only when we see our need that we are able to surrender to his Spirit.
Christmas Day may have passed, but God still wants to bless us— maybe even surprise us with an unexpected outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What do you really need? Maybe you know someone with a serious illness who needs healing. Maybe you’ve been praying for years that a relative would give his or her heart to the Lord. Or maybe you are hoping for victory over a sinful area that keeps tripping you up. Don’t box God in. Instead, expect the unexpected—just as Simeon did.
“Holy Spirit, thank you for showing me your love. I give you my whole heart, and I believe that you can move any mountain in my life!”
No comments:
Post a Comment