receiving believing
“Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother: ‘This Child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed.’ ” —Luke 2:34
On the fifth day of Christmas, what does God want to do in our lives? How will our lives be different after the Christmas season than before it? The Lord certainly wants us to grow in faith. He wants us to end the Christmas season and begin the new year with a greater faith than ever before.
The Lord calls us to see like Simeon and Anna. When Jesus was presented in the Temple, hundreds of people had the chance to see the Baby Jesus. Only Simeon and Anna, however, saw Him with the eyes of faith. By faith, they recognized that Jesus was not only a baby but the “revealing Light to the Gentiles” (Lk 2:32) and the Glory of God’s people.
As Christmas continues, Jesus wants us to believe much more deeply that:
- He is God (see Mk 14:61-62). Therefore, we must worship and obey Him.
- At Mass, bread and wine become His Body and Blood (see 1 Cor 11:24-25).
- The Church is not merely a human institution but the Body of Christ (cf Eph 1:22-23, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 776-777).
- Prayer is communicating with God, and so, prayer is one of our most important and powerful privileges (cf Ps 17:6).
Despite our agnostic culture of death, receive the miracle of great faith through prayer (Jude 20) and God’s Word (Rm 10:17). Receive the ultimate Christmas gift — great and growing faith.
Prayer: “Now, Master, You can dismiss Your servant in peace; You have fulfilled Your word” (Lk 2:29).
Promise: “On second thought, the commandment that I write you is new.” —1 Jn 2:8
Praise: St. Thomas Becket was impelled by love (2 Cor 5:14) to endure exile and eventually death in defense of the truth.
Reference:
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from December 1, 2023, through January 31, 2024. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 17, 2023"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.