Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Tuesday, 30 December 2014

Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Tuesday, 30 December 2014
Meditation - Luke 2:36-38 Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.
39-40 When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him.
6th Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord
She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. (Luke 2:37)
Luke’s sketch of Anna—a true daughter of Zion—invites us to reflect on the tremendous impact that the birth of Jesus had on Israel. By telling her story as he did, Luke gave his gentile readers (who were unfamiliar with Israel’s history) a glimpse of the way God’s plan of salvation unfolded within Israel’s history. For example, Anna’s great age and her lifetime of prayer represent the many centuries that the Jews spent preparing for and longing for the coming of their Messiah—centuries spent in prayer, intercession, and obedience to God.
Anna must have known much pain upon the death of her husband after only seven years of marriage. Over the years, she probably experienced a great deal of loneliness as well. In ancient times, unmarried women in general, and widows in particular, were often looked down on or forgotten about. By choosing Anna as he did, God shows how little he cares about social stature when it comes to selecting his witnesses!
Despite a lifetime of sorrows, Anna never became bitter. Instead, she found solace as she opened her heart to the Lord in prayer. “She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer” (Luke 2:37). This remarkable woman of faith had transformed her many difficult years into a lifelong ministry of intercession for the redemption of Israel. And God exhibited a special love for this “prophetess” (2:36) by endowing her with a sensitivity and awareness of the Messiah’s coming.
What a model for us! Anna’s patience and long suffering embody the human heart’s longing for salvation. Do you sometimes feel worn out, abandoned, or insignificant to God? Nothing could be further from the truth. If you turn to God, as Anna did, his grace will fill your life. Turn your sorrows over to the Lord. Worship him, and intercede for the redemption of his people. By doing so, you can become a witness of God’s presence in our midst. God will fill your life with hope and promise in a way that nothing else in the world can.
“Lord, I offer my life to you. I want to join all your saints in building your kingdom.”Amen!
1 John 2: Loving the World
12-13 I remind you, my dear children: Your sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name. You veterans were in on the ground floor, and know the One who started all this; you newcomers have won a big victory over the Evil One.
13-14 And a second reminder, dear children: You know the Father from personal experience. You veterans know the One who started it all; and you newcomers—such vitality and strength! God’s word is so steady in you. Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the Evil One.
15-17 Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
Psalms 96:7 Bravo, God, Bravo!
Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!
In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.
8-9 Bring gifts and celebrate,
Bow before the beauty of God,
Then to your knees—everyone worship!
10 Get out the message—God Rules!
He put the world on a firm foundation;
He treats everyone fair and square.
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