Presenting Ourselves in the Temple of the Lord

Today, the Feast of the Presentation, "Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord'"  (Luke 2: 22).  In the collect of today's liturgy, we pray: "Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure."

At our baptisms, each of us, like Jesus was by his parents, is presented to the Lord to be purified and consecrated to Him in the waters of baptism.  May we continue ti cooperate with God's grace as we live our our consecration to the Lord in our daily lives by living justly, loving tenderly and doing what s right in God's eyes.

That is my prayer this day for all of us, the least to the greatest, the richest to the poorest, the healthiest to the sickest in body, mind,  and soul. And may our minds continue to be made pure  through the Body and Blood of Christ, which we Catholics receive in Holy Communion at every Mass.  May we complete and become the Eucharist we celebrate by pouring out our lives every day in self-sacrificing love for the good of others.

God as Builder and the One in Charge

In today's first reading, 2 Samuel 7: 4-17,  God reminds David of all that He has done for Him and specifically tells David that he does not need him to build him a house. "In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel, did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask: 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'"
Then, through Nathan, God reminds David, further, that God is the One in charge of his life, that He is the One who called him to shepherd the Israelites, that He is the One who has "been with you wherever you went, and I  have destroyed your enemies."  I am the One, God tells David, who "will make you famous like the great ones of the earth."  In other words, God is saying to David: You do not have to make a name for yourself by building Me, your God, a Temple.

Neither do you and I need to make a name for ourselves. God is doing that for us. God brought us into His Body, the Church, in Baptism.  God has given us an inheritance, His eternal Kingdom, through the blood of the Cross.  God feeds us  with the best of wheat in Holy Communion,  the Body and Blood of His Son Jesus Christ, by whom our redemption continues. For those who live justly, love tenderly, walk humbly with God (cf Micah 6:8),  repent and believe in the Gospel, the Kingdom of heaven awaits them on the last day.

Feast of All Saints

Today we celebrate the feast of all saints, the holy ones who have preceded us in heaven.  What is/who is a saint? That question brings to mind the words of the prophet Micah: all that God asks of you is to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).  Many times when I think of saints I think of parents who teach their children, on a constant basis, to be fair.; who, themselves, work hard at treating their children with fairness, who love tenderly and walk humbly with God. The majority of parents parent lovingly, kindly, and justly day in and day out, humbly fulfilling God's will with no fanfare.  This saintliness, I see, as well in loving grandparents. I stand in awe of God's graces at work in these individuals.

Whom to you admire? In whom do you see God's grace at work? Who models sainthood for you? Who, in the words of today's Gospel, Mt 5: 1-12, are "poor in spirit," that is recognize their dependence upon God; mourn, perhaps for the well-being of their children and persons throughout the world; are meek and humble of heart, hunger and thirst for righteousness (virtue, morality, honesty, for instance) in their children, in persons worldwide and in themselves; are merciful, are peacemakers within the family, are "clean of heart," seeking God above all?