REFLECTIONS ON THE WORD – 12/30/21 (Sixth Day Within the Octave of Christmas)

Luke 2:38

38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of Him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

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Blessed Thursday and blessed sixth day within the octave of Christmas! In our gospel reading today, St. Anna was a widow and a prophetess who dedicated her life in worshipping God in the temple. When she saw Jesus who was presented in the temple, she immediately gave thanks to God because she knew that they would be redeemed. Our Savior is reminding us the importance of giving thanks to Him because without Him, we cannot be saved and have eternal life. 

Do we give thanks to God? If yes, what is it that we are thankful for? It's natural for us to give thanks to Him for the temporal goods that we receive such as financial and material blessings. These are good, but some of us may forget to give thanks for the gift of salvation and for the graces that deepen our relationship with God. Why do we forget these gifts? Maybe, we think that our purpose in life is to gain as many riches as possible even though such worldly goods will pass away. Rather, our purpose in life is to praise, glorify and honor God which will lead us to our salvation. We may even think that we do good works solely by our own strength. In reality, everything is by God's grace, and we're just dependent on Him. When we do not recognize His gift of redemption and mercy, we will fall to the sin of pride. 

Do we give thanks for the graces we receive in the Sacraments? Do we give thanks for the good works that bear fruit in us? By being thankful for the graces that we receive, we become more humble because we recognize how merciful our Lord is. May we spend time with God as we give thanks to Him, and may we teach young children about the importance of this prayer. Jesus is always listening to people who persevere in humility. When we constantly give thanks to Him, He will grant us growth in holiness because humility is the mother of all virtues. Let us always have the hope that He will lift us from our lowliness for us to share in His Divine glory.

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic