Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in him; life, which for human beings, was also light, light that shines in darkness, light that darkness could not overcome. A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light, so that all
might believe through him.
He was not the Light, but a witness to introduce the Light; for the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone.
He was in the world, and through him the world was made, the very world that did not know him.
He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him; but to all who received him, he empowers to become children of God, for they believe in his name.
These are born, but not by seed, or carnal desire, nor by the will of man: they are born of God.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father: fullness of truth and loving­kindness.
John bore witness to him openly, saying, “This is the one who comes after me, but he is already ahead of me, for he was before me.”
From his fullness we have all received, favor upon favor. For God had given us the law through Moses, but Truth and Loving­kindness came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God, but God­the­only­Son made him known: the one, who is in and with the Father.

Reflections
“he was in the beginning with God”
When disasters are about to happen, a government agency usually takes the lead to warn citizens of the ill effects of an impending calamity, either through media or other means of communication. They would gather the people, inform them and warn them.
Today’s first reading explains to us an impending disaster in faith being witnessed by John. Thus, he warns the Christians of his time of the antichrist and de­fectors in the faith (cf 1 John 12). The early Christians needed to address the doctrinal concerns which bother them. The Gospel defines their faith in Jesus, in a very succinct and clear presen­tation. It says “and the Word be­came flesh and made his dwel­ ling among us”.
May we always take comfort in the faith transmitted to us by the Church, study it in our hearts and be grateful for this faith forever.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Luke 2:36-40
There was also a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her father’s home, she had been seven years with her husband; and since then, she had been continually about the temple, serving God, as a widow, night and day, in fasting and prayer. She was now eighty­four. Coming up at that time, she gave praise to God, and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their town, Nazareth in Galilee. There, the child grew in stature and strength, and was filled with wisdom: the grace of God was upon him.

Reflections
“she gave praise to God.”
When I see aged people going to Church, I find myself seeking for the same strength. They lived their lives, survived its challenges, and preserved their faith. I wonder on their lives’ sto­ries but I am certain that their faith matured through time.
Looking at the readings, St. John counselled the followers of Jesus to hold unto him with per­ severance. In Christian Life, temp­tations abound and misleading teachings sprout. It is in this spirit that the apostle exhorts them to hold fast to the faith.
Like Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, who persevered until she saw Jesus, we are also in­vited to persevere in God’s love at all times and in all places. We pray that even in the most trying times, we would hold on to Jesus and trust in his merciful love.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon be looking for the child in order to kill him.”
Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. In this way, what the Lord had said through the prophet was fulfilled: I called my son out of Egypt.
After Herod’s death, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go back to the land of Israel, because those who tried to kill the child are dead.” So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.
But when Joseph heard that Archilaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, he was afraid to go there. Joseph was given further instructions in a dream, and went to the region of Galilee.
There he settled, in a town called Nazareth. In this way, what was said by the prophets was fulfilled: He shall be called a Nazarene.

Lectio Divina
READ: “Joseph rose and took the child and his mother…”
REFLECT: Whenever we come to celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, we cannot but ask ourselves whether we can really pattern our own families to that of the Holy Family. Whether we can become good parents like Mary and Joseph. Or whether we can really approximate our families to become holy families. Our Gospel in today’s feast tells us about what Joseph did to Mary and Jesus, the family of Nazareth. Among other things, Joseph follo­wing the dictate of the angel in his dream to distance away the baby Jesus from all the dangers brought about by the evil plan of Herod. This feast invites us to have a gaze into the Holy Family. Take it as model of our families as well. Our fami­lies today are not exempt of the many dangers attacking herself. Our second reading invites us to fortify our fami­lies: “put on love, that is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you are called in one body”.
PRAY: May the Holy Family continue to be our guide and inspiration as we take the sojourn of family life.
ACT: Let us help our families and the families of others to be like the Holy Family.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-18
After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon be looking for the child in order to kill him.”
Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. In this way, what the Lord had said through the prophet was fulfilled: I called my son out of Egypt.
When Herod found out that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were two years old or under. This was done, according to what he had learned from the wise men about the time when the star appeared.
In this way, what the prophet Jeremiah had said was fulfilled: A cry is heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation: Rachel weeps for her children. She refuses to be comforted, for they are no more.

Reflections
“Rachel weeps for her children.”
The Church always safe­ guards life, even of the unborn. Even in the early life of the Church, we have consistently protected life from “womb to tomb”. The letter to Diognetus, a non Christian, explained that Christians “do not kill babies”.
The martyrdom of the Holy Innocents reminds us of the sa­credness of life, especially of the unborn. We recall today the in­fants who were killed at the order of Herod the Great, who was not so comfortable with the thought of a “messiah” or by and large, to his perceived competitor.
Indeed the first reading is right, “God is light and in his there is no darkness”. We cannot allow darkness to rule, injustice to ruin the truth and “Rachel weeping again for her children”.
The Christmas season brings us to a perspective of life. We are agents of light and life and not people of darkness and sin.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019