Dec 30 2021

First reading 1 John 2:12-17

Observance of the will of God

I am writing to you, my own children, whose sins have already been forgiven through his name; I am writing to you, fathers, who have come to know the one who has existed since the beginning; I am writing to you, young men, who have already overcome the Evil One; I have written to you, children, because you already know the Father; I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who has existed since the beginning; I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and God’s word has made its home in you, and you have overcome the Evil One. You must not love this passing world or anything that is in the world. The love of the Father cannot be in any man who loves the world, because nothing the world has to offer– the sensual body, the lustful eye, pride in possessions –could ever come from the Father but only from the world; and the world, with all it craves for, is coming to an end; but anyone who does the will of God remains for ever.

Responsorial Psalm 95(96):7-10

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.

Give the Lord, you families of peoples,

give the Lord glory and power;

give the Lord the glory of his name.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.

Bring an offering and enter his courts,

worship the Lord in his temple.

O earth, tremble before him.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’

The world he made firm in its place;

he will judge the peoples in fairness.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.

Gospel Luke 2:36-40

Anna speaks of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem

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 by 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. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.

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REFLECTION

Thursday, 30th December, Sixth day within the Octave of Christmas.

1 John 2:12-17, Luke 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, too, 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.

God first

In today’s gospel, we meet Anna, who was described as a prophetess and a widow. She was eighty-four years old and full of faith in God and love for Him. This woman stayed in the Temple, serving God day and night with fasting and prayer. Anna is indeed a model of discipleship as her life speaks to us of putting God at the center of our lives. Is God at the center of our lives? Is He the motivation behind our wordsand actions? Prayer is essential in our daily life. We are often so caught up with the many things that we have to do that we forget to set time and space to be with God and listen to His words. Let us value the importance of prayer and spending time with God and dare to “waste time” with Him once more.