29 Dec
Sat
5th Day in Christmas Octave
1 Jn 2:3-11
Ps. 95:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6
Lk 2:22-35
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Jesus' parents, following that tradition, brought their first-born son, to Jerusalem to be presented to God. It was a further confirmation of the acceptance of God's will which Mary had expressed to the angel at the Annunciation. "I am the slave girl of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." Now, with Joseph, she offers her son to God and, in doing so, accepts from God all that will happen to her Child. At this moment, she has no idea of what his life is going to be. However, she receives a veiled intimation from the holy man Simeon, who is overjoyed to see the Messiah before the end of his life. "Let your servant go in peace, because my eyes have seen the salvation, which you have prepared...a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel." Then come the words of warning. "This child is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel". He will be a sign that is rejected by many "and a sword will pierce your own soul too". That will happen as Mary stands at the foot of the Cross and sees her Son die a terrible death. But she will identify with her Son and with the love for the world of which his death is a sign. Let us, too, during this Christmas season make our unconditional offering of ourselves to the Lord and accept from his hands whatever may come.



O Lord, the coming of your light into our world has made the darkness vanish. May we both find this light and spread it to others.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That Christians may free themselves from the subtle forms of cultural conditioning which prevent them from recognising the dignity and rights of others
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That Christians may free themselves from the subtle forms of cultural conditioning which prevent them from recognising the dignity and rights of others

Our vocation and mission as Christians is to bring the light of Christ to the world in order to preserve the world from corruption by permeating it with the values of the Gospel. We need, ourselves, first and foremost to be enlightened by Christ. We do not generate light, we only refract, reflect and radiate. It is His light that we must cast on the world. The more transparent our lives are with the values of the Gospel, the better is the light of Christ reflected and the less we are seen.

The world in which we live is mixed with wheat and weeds. There is good and evil. Consumerism is but the logical sequence of a materialistic way of life. Spiritual values are forgotten. Our wants are made to appear as our needs and we are forced to get so immersed in the joys of this world as to forget the joys of the world to come. We are admonished to be aware lest we be trapped by these and other forms of cultural conditioning that mark this world.

Awareness is the first step to change. We pray that this awareness may help us to be delivered from the cultural conditioning that hinders and hampers our vision and prevents us from recognising the dignity and the rights of others.




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