My reflections for Feb. 02, 2006 - Thursday
February 2, 2006
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Reading I
Malachi 3:1-4
Thus says the Lord God:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner’s fire,
or like the fuller’s lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
(A time of purification is in store for us all. We have all sinned and have thus been damaged and scarred by sin. This will need to be healed and purified before we are able to meet the Lord face to face in etrnal life. Our lives here on earth can be the beginning of this process of purification if we allow ourselves to be worked on by the Holy Spirit. Let us choose to embrace a life of obedience and penance out of love for God and the hope of eternal life.)
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Reading II
Hebrews 2:14-18
Since the children share in blood and flesh,
Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels
but rather the descendants of Abraham;
therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters
in every way,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested.
(Jesus shares our sinful humanity, that is, He is both fully God and fully human, though without sin. Without this personal identification with us, all that Jesus does and undergoes in His life is meaningless as regards our salvation. It is by virtue of the fact of his humanity that He is able to be our Saviour! It is by virtue of His divinity that He has the capacity to rectify the infinite damage that sin did to our relationship with the Father.)
Gospel
Luke 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
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
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.
(Jesus’ parents conformed to the practices of the Law regarding His birth. The prophecies of Simeon and Anna indicate that there is something happening with this child that is going to change the way people perceive their relationship with God. Nobody knows exactly what this means yet. However, with the life of Jesus and all that follows it, we now have a good idea of why the Son of God took on human flesh.)
God's special verse/thought for me today.
The Holy Spirit is upon me. Lord I am your obedient servant and I unconditionally accept whatever mission you have laid for me.
my reflections
think: A time of purification is in store for us all. Our lives here on earth can be the beginning of this process of purification if we allow ourselves to be worked on by the Holy Spirit.
My Lord and my King, forgive me for I have offended you. Have mercy on me and forgive my sins. Refine me O Lord until I get purified. I understand that only through purification will I be worthy of your Love. With your authority Lord, allow myself to be worked on by the Holy Spirit so I could begin this process of purification. Purify me O Lord from my negativeness, purify my procrastination, purify my bad habits, purify my ego, purify everything that doesn't merit your goodness.
thank You Lord for: allowing myself being worked on by the Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord for freeing me from fear and saving me from slavery.
Thank Lord for the gift of obedience.
Thank you Lord for helping me with the test through what I suffered.
Thank you Lord for being able to help those people who are being tested.
Thank you Lord for consistently helping me purify my soul and mind.
Thank you Lord for coming down to earth as a humble man to be our Savior.
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