Lk 2:22-40 Be Positive! Praise the Lord!
Today is the feast of the presentation of the Lord; that is, the day our Lord made his very first public appearance in the Temple. He was a simple baby, but what a baby! Although the Word could not speak a word, his appearance in the Holy Temple will be repeated again - a repeat performance, starting twelve years later, when he is found, to the surprise of his mother and father, alone and preaching the Good News to the doctors of the Law.
There is hope. Yes. The Psalmist asks, “Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord” (Ps 24:8). He is our hope. When all seems lost and dark and gloomy, there is hope. Hope is better served when the going gets tough. Hope has an everlasting affect when all appears lost and victory can only be imagined. We hope in many people and in many things. For this reason, our faith in hope is poor. We hope in the wrong things and in the wrong people. We, like Simeon, must trust in the Lord. “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.”
Here he is: the child of God, the Son of the Most High, the Light of the World - the Savior of all. Here I am: a child of God, a son and daughter of the Most High, a light to the World – a magnet to all. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that good enough? Now, let yourself go! Lord, let your servant go in peace, in love and in confidence. Allow me to be an instrument, a vessel, a mighty staff in your hands. Send your messenger; send me to prepare your Way; the way of the Lord! Allow me to see sin as an opportunity to bring those around me around you. May I never think that I am in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that with you by my side, I must go to Jerusalem and rise to the occasion.
Everything – everything that happens, praise the Lord! When I am bullied at school – praise the Lord for I imitate the suffering the Lord experienced at the hands of the most egregious of bullies, and allow others to come and carry me home. It is a vivid reminder to the world that sin will never disappear with education, but with holiness. When I am mocked and scorned at work for my faith, may I praise the Lord in imitating the scorn and suffering he endured for being true to himself! Then I will know that I am in the right place and time so as to bear witness to the on-going mocking and humiliation of our Lord!
Be positive today! Place a smile on your face! For the Lord did not sacrifice his life with sadness but with joy! The Lord did not grudgingly go about his business dragging his feet; but hastened for the day he could show his perfect love for all sinners. He got knocked down; he got back up. Not out of drunkenness, as his accusers would say, or because of the tainted wine offered to him on the cross, but because he knew who he was and he would not trade it in for single slap, punch, kick or thorn in his face. However, he did offer it up for me.
Buenos Dias, Padrecito
ReplyDeleteI checked my mail this morning as I got up and one of my friends, who knows I love all little critters, sent me this link. Brought a huge smile to my face....then I read your morning meditation, and I thought of posting the link...a sign for sure that you should also enjoy it...the song they chose to play along with the video.: )
http://www.godvine.com/Baby-Squirrel-Gets-Help-from-an-Unlikely-Place-217.html
"May I never think that I am in the wrong place at the wrong time"
ReplyDelete- How perfect is this sentiment?
Also a very Happy Birthday and extra blessings to my sister Eva!
Have the best day!!!
“Lord, let your servant go in peace, in love and in confidence. Allow me to be an instrument, a vessel, a mighty staff in your hands. Send your messenger; send me to prepare your Way; the way of the Lord! Allow me to see sin as an opportunity to bring those around me around you. May I never think that I am in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that with you by my side, I must go to Jerusalem and rise to the occasion”.
ReplyDeleteOMG Father! This is the Holy Spirit speaking through you. This is an absolute confirmation that I am in the right place at the right time. That God is using me and that He will bring healing and order because He is with me through this, leading me, consoling me and giving me strength!
And yes that love is unconditional, because if it wasn’t, it would definitely be gone today!
“We hope in many people and in many things. For this reason, our faith in hope is poor. We hope in the wrong things and in the wrong people.”
ReplyDeleteAMEN! I woke up this morning thinking just that! I lost hope overnight, why don’t I feel despair? Because my hope was in the wrong thing, a person and that this person would just wake up one morning and say, “I need help”. I am a tsunami, I l wreck lives, leave souls bleeding in the streets and then I move on to my next destination where I do the same!
Reality hit and the loss of that hope bore true hope, hope in God’s power and ability to get this person help. And He will. I have no doubts. I don’t know exactly how or when but it will happen, I just HOPE it’s soon before there is more wreckage, before it turns into a scandal and even more lives are devastated, those that are not even in the storm.
Why are people so hesitant to offer praises to our Lord? People are quick to blame God for all the so-called wrongs in their lives. I often see people forgetting or choosing not to praise God for all the wonderful joys and events in their lives. This is one of the lessons I desperately want my girls to learn; to always offer thanks to our heavenly Father. This applies to both good and negative events/lessons in their lives.
ReplyDeleteThank you for Fr. Alfonse as this is a reminder of what I need to continue doing with the girls and even my husband. Hopefully we are back in school tomorrow. Have a blessed day.
Teri,
ReplyDeleteYour comments are always so interesting and relevant to the topic. You should comment more often.