The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Lectionary: 203
Lectionary: 203
I
am writing to you, children,
because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have conquered the Evil One.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,
and you have conquered the Evil One.
Do not love the world or the things of the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world,
sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,
is not from the Father but is from the world.
Yet the world and its enticement are passing away.
But whoever does the will of God remains forever.
because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have conquered the Evil One.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,
and you have conquered the Evil One.
Do not love the world or the things of the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world,
sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,
is not from the Father but is from the world.
Yet the world and its enticement are passing away.
But whoever does the will of God remains forever.
R.
(11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
There
was 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.
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.
Meditation: "All who were looking
for the redemption of Jerusalem"
What
do you hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the
kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. Hope grows with prayer and
perseverance. Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that
God would fulfill all his promises. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she was found
daily in the house of the Lord, attending to the Lord in prayer and speaking
prophetically to others about the Lord's promise to send a redeemer. She is a
model of godliness to all believers as we advance in age. Advancing age and the
disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not
have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and his promises grew with
age! She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope
and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer
and service of God's people. How do we grow in hope? By placing our trust in
the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the
grace and help of the Holy Spirit. Does your hope and fervor for God grow with
age?
"Lord
Jesus, may I never cease to hope in you and to trust in your promises. Inflame
my zeal for your kingdom and increase my love for prayer, that I may never
cease to give you praise and worship".
 A Child and Wonder |
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Sixth Day of the
Octave of Christmas
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Luke 2:36-40
There was 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 84. She never left the Temple, but worshipped 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.
Introductory Prayer:Lord, I come like Anna today to live the one
thing necessary in my life: my relationship with you. I believe that you are
faithful to your promises. I believe that you will triumph over sin and
death. I love you, Lord.
Petition: Lord, help me to see how I can better
witness to you.
1. She Worshipped: We all have something we worship. Wisdom
teaches us whom we should truly worship: God alone. God deserves our full
hearts, because he is the one who is our true Father. In worship we
rediscover our greatest treasure, as did the Prodigal Son: “I will return to
my Father’s house” (Luke 15:18). In worship we return to that place where we
are most deeply welcomed and cared for, to that place where we discover our
true friend, where we become more deeply our true selves. Worship also opens
us to receive God’s graces. It helps us appreciate the gifts that God wants
to give us. Do I strive to worship God with all my heart, mind and soul
during the Eucharistic Celebration?
2. She Spoke about the Child to All: Prayer and worship here on earth do not end
only in going to church. They allow us to discover the good news about God’s
love, so that we can also share this good news with others. Prayer that does
not lead us to evangelize is self-deception. Our Holy Father shows us this
intimate connection between prayer and evangelization. He invites us to give
to others what we have discovered in being close to Christ. He challenges us
to bring others to Christ. Am I living this contemplative and active spirit?
3. The Child Grew and Became Strong, and the
Favor of God Was Upon Him: Christmas is a message of hope. God is quietly preparing the
future. A child and a young person are reminders that God does not give up on
the world, that in each generation he can find new ways of bringing his
salvation to all mankind. Am I youthful, spiritually speaking? Am I always
trying to learn what God wants to teach me each day, striving to form those
virtues that will make me a better instrument of God’s grace? As one who
follows Christ, I should have confidence that God’s favor also rests on me;
that he looks at my humble, often hidden efforts with great love; that in
spite of my weakness he is helping others through me to see the good news
that he is present and active in their lives.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I thank you for your presence and
care. You have made me in your image, and in the presence of your Son I
discover the depths of your love. Help me to grow in wonder at your love
today, and help me to bring your good news to others.
Resolution:Today I will spend a quiet moment before the
child Jesus and thank him for his presence here among us. I will also strive
in a particular way to be cheerful and friendly to everyone I meet.
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, LUKE 2:36-40
Sixth Day within the Octave of Christmas
LUKE 2:36-40
(I John 2:12-17; Psalm 96)
Sixth Day within the Octave of Christmas
LUKE 2:36-40
(I John 2:12-17; Psalm 96)
KEY VERSE: "She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Israel" (v 38).
READING: Luke paralleled the account of Simeon (Lk 2:25-35) with that of Anna, a pious, elderly widow who spent her days in the Temple praying and fasting for the redemption of Israel. Anna was called a "prophetess," one who interpreted God's action in the world. Widows such as Anna dedicated their lives to God through prayer and service, and were greatly respected in Israel. When Joseph and Mary brought their child to the Temple, Simeon prophesied to Mary that a "sword would pierce her heart" (v 35), Anna announced to everyone that the deliverance of Israel would be accomplished through Jesus. After fulfilling the required rites of purification, Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth where the child Jesus grew physically, intellectually and spiritually.
REFLECTING: How can I be of service to the widowed and elderly in my parish?
PRAYING: Holy Spirit, help me to grow in wisdom and favor before God.
Let heaven and earth exult in joy!
Let heaven and earth exult in joy!Anna was an evangeliser. Having recognised the baby in his mother’s arms for who he was, Anna immediately proclaimed the good news to those who would hear it. As a prophetess, Anna lived her life being constantly open to the possibility of God, open to the imagination of a world so beautifully created that God blessed it with the coming of his son. Why would we not also evangelise through our joy at the incarnation of God, God enfleshed? Do we live out our lives as prophets? Are we open to the possibility of God, living the message of hope and love Jesus brought through his life, death and resurrection? Let us live our lives as worthy evangelists. Joy-filled, exultant, proclaimers of the Good News.
December 30
St. Egwin
(d. 717)
St. Egwin
(d. 717)
You say you’re not familiar with today’s saint? Chances are you
aren’t—unless you’re especially informed about Benedictine bishops who
established monasteries in medieval England.
Born of
royal blood in the 7th century, Egwin entered a monastery and was
enthusiastically received by royalty, clergy and the people as the bishop of
Worcester, England. As a bishop he was known as a protector of orphans and the
widowed and a fair judge. Who could argue with that?
His
popularity didn’t hold up among members of the clergy, however. They saw him as
overly strict, while he felt he was simply trying to correct abuses and impose
appropriate disciplines. Bitter resentments arose, and Egwin made his way to
Rome to present his case to Pope Constantine. The case against Egwin was
examined and annulled.
Upon his
return to England, he founded Evesham Abbey, which became one of the great
Benedictine houses of medieval England. It was dedicated to Mary, who had
reportedly made it known to Egwin just where a church should be built in her
honor.
He died
at the abbey on December 30, in the year 717. Following his burial many
miracles were attributed to him: The blind could see, the deaf could hear, the
sick were healed.
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 2,36-40
Lectio:
Monday, December 30, 2013
Christmas Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty Father,
you let humble, faithful people
recognize your Son
and welcome him as the Saviour
who brought freedom and life to his people.
May we too recognize and welcome Jesus
in all that is little and humble
and with him grow up in wisdom and grace
to the maturity of your sons and daughters,
so that we attain the full stature of Jesus.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Almighty Father,
you let humble, faithful people
recognize your Son
and welcome him as the Saviour
who brought freedom and life to his people.
May we too recognize and welcome Jesus
in all that is little and humble
and with him grow up in wisdom and grace
to the maturity of your sons and daughters,
so that we attain the full stature of Jesus.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 2,36-40
There was a prophetess, 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 up 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. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.
There was a prophetess, 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 up 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. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.
3) Reflection
• In the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel, everything turns around the birth of two persons: John and Jesus. The two chapters make us feel the perfume of the Gospel of Luke. In it the environment is one of tenderness and of praise. From the beginning until the end, the mercy of God is sung and praised: The canticles of Mary (Lk 1, 46-55), of Zechariah (Lk 1, 68-79), of the Angels (Lk 2, 14), of Simeon (Lk 2, 29-32). Finally, God comes to fulfil his promises and he fulfils them in behalf of the poor, of the anawim, of those who know how to persevere and hope in his coming: Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds.
• Chapters 1 and 2 of Luke’s Gospel are very well known, but not deepened enough. Luke writes imitating the writings of the Old Testament. It is as if the first two chapters of his Gospel were the last chapter of the Old Testament which opens the door for the coming of the New. These two chapters are the foundation or hinge between the New and the Old Testament. Luke wants to show that the prophecies are being realized. John and Jesus fulfil the Old and begin the New.
• Luke 2, 36-37: The life of the Prophetess Anna. “There was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. 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 praying”. Like Judith (Jdt 8, 1-6), Anna was also a widow. Like Deborah (Jg 4, 4), she also was a prophetess. That is, a person who communicates something of God and who has a special opening toward the things of faith to the point of being able to communicate them to others. Anna got married when she was young, and lived seven years married, then she became a widow and continued to dedicate herself to God up to the age of eighty-four years. Today, in almost all our communities, in the whole world, we find groups of women of a certain age, many of them are widows, whose life is reassumed in prayer and in being present in the celebrations and in service to the neighbour.
• Luke 2, 38: Anna and the Child Jesus. “She came up just at that moment and began to praise God, and she spoke of the child to all who looked toward to the deliverance of Jerusalem”. She went to the Temple at the moment when Simeon embraces the child and speaks with Mary concerning the future of her son (Lk 2, 25-35). Luke suggests that Anna takes part in this gesture. The look of Anna is one of faith. She sees a child in the arms of his mother and discovers in him the Saviour of the world.
• Luke 2, 39-40: The life of Jesus in Nazareth. “When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom and God’s favour was with him”. In these few words, Luke communicates something of the Mystery of the Incarnation. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1, 14). The Son of God becomes equal to us in all things and assumes the condition of Servant (Ph 2, 7). He was obedient even unto death and death on the cross (Ph 2, 8). He lived thirty-three years among us, and of these, he lived thirty in Nazareth. If we want to know how the life of the Son of God was during the years that he lived in Nazareth, we have to try to know the life of any Nazarene of that time, change his name, give him the name of Jesus and we will know the life of the Son of God in the thirty-three years of his life, in everything like us except sin (Heb 4, 15). During these years of his life, “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him”. In another passage, Luke affirms the same thing using other words. He says that the child “grew in wisdom, age and grace before God and men” (Lk 2, 52). To grow in wisdom means to assimilate the knowledge, the accumulated human experience throughout the centuries: the times, the feasts, the medicine, the plants, prayer, customs and uses, etc. This is learnt living and living together in the natural community of the people. To grow in age means, to be born small, to grow and to become an adult. This is the process of every human being, with his joys and his sadness, his discoveries and his frustrations, his anger and his love. This is learnt by living and by living together in the family, with the parents, the brothers and the sisters, the relatives. To grow in grace means: to discover the presence of God in the life, his action in everything that happens, vocation, his call. The Letter to the Hebrews says that: “Even if he was the Son, he learnt obedience through his sufferings” (Heb 5, 8).
• In the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel, everything turns around the birth of two persons: John and Jesus. The two chapters make us feel the perfume of the Gospel of Luke. In it the environment is one of tenderness and of praise. From the beginning until the end, the mercy of God is sung and praised: The canticles of Mary (Lk 1, 46-55), of Zechariah (Lk 1, 68-79), of the Angels (Lk 2, 14), of Simeon (Lk 2, 29-32). Finally, God comes to fulfil his promises and he fulfils them in behalf of the poor, of the anawim, of those who know how to persevere and hope in his coming: Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds.
• Chapters 1 and 2 of Luke’s Gospel are very well known, but not deepened enough. Luke writes imitating the writings of the Old Testament. It is as if the first two chapters of his Gospel were the last chapter of the Old Testament which opens the door for the coming of the New. These two chapters are the foundation or hinge between the New and the Old Testament. Luke wants to show that the prophecies are being realized. John and Jesus fulfil the Old and begin the New.
• Luke 2, 36-37: The life of the Prophetess Anna. “There was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. 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 praying”. Like Judith (Jdt 8, 1-6), Anna was also a widow. Like Deborah (Jg 4, 4), she also was a prophetess. That is, a person who communicates something of God and who has a special opening toward the things of faith to the point of being able to communicate them to others. Anna got married when she was young, and lived seven years married, then she became a widow and continued to dedicate herself to God up to the age of eighty-four years. Today, in almost all our communities, in the whole world, we find groups of women of a certain age, many of them are widows, whose life is reassumed in prayer and in being present in the celebrations and in service to the neighbour.
• Luke 2, 38: Anna and the Child Jesus. “She came up just at that moment and began to praise God, and she spoke of the child to all who looked toward to the deliverance of Jerusalem”. She went to the Temple at the moment when Simeon embraces the child and speaks with Mary concerning the future of her son (Lk 2, 25-35). Luke suggests that Anna takes part in this gesture. The look of Anna is one of faith. She sees a child in the arms of his mother and discovers in him the Saviour of the world.
• Luke 2, 39-40: The life of Jesus in Nazareth. “When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom and God’s favour was with him”. In these few words, Luke communicates something of the Mystery of the Incarnation. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1, 14). The Son of God becomes equal to us in all things and assumes the condition of Servant (Ph 2, 7). He was obedient even unto death and death on the cross (Ph 2, 8). He lived thirty-three years among us, and of these, he lived thirty in Nazareth. If we want to know how the life of the Son of God was during the years that he lived in Nazareth, we have to try to know the life of any Nazarene of that time, change his name, give him the name of Jesus and we will know the life of the Son of God in the thirty-three years of his life, in everything like us except sin (Heb 4, 15). During these years of his life, “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him”. In another passage, Luke affirms the same thing using other words. He says that the child “grew in wisdom, age and grace before God and men” (Lk 2, 52). To grow in wisdom means to assimilate the knowledge, the accumulated human experience throughout the centuries: the times, the feasts, the medicine, the plants, prayer, customs and uses, etc. This is learnt living and living together in the natural community of the people. To grow in age means, to be born small, to grow and to become an adult. This is the process of every human being, with his joys and his sadness, his discoveries and his frustrations, his anger and his love. This is learnt by living and by living together in the family, with the parents, the brothers and the sisters, the relatives. To grow in grace means: to discover the presence of God in the life, his action in everything that happens, vocation, his call. The Letter to the Hebrews says that: “Even if he was the Son, he learnt obedience through his sufferings” (Heb 5, 8).
4) Personal questions
• Do you know any persons like Anna, who have a look of faith on the things of life?
• To grow in wisdom, age and grace, how does this take place in my life?
• Do you know any persons like Anna, who have a look of faith on the things of life?
• To grow in wisdom, age and grace, how does this take place in my life?
5) Concluding prayer
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation day after day,
declare his glory among the nations,
his marvels to every people! (Sal 96,2-3)
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation day after day,
declare his glory among the nations,
his marvels to every people! (Sal 96,2-3)
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