February 2, Wednesday, 4th Week of Ordinary Time
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Daily Readings: Malachi 3: 1-4, Psalm 24: 7-10, Hebrews 2: 14-18, Luke 2: 22-32
The first reading from the Prophet Malachi contains a certain amount of ambiguity. We are told of the majestic entrance of the Lord into his Temple. After that, the prophet inquires, "Who will be able to bear the day of his coming?" Who will be the last person to stand when he appears?
According to the reading, the Lord will purify the sons of Levi, just as a refiner purifies gold. Is the day of salvation a joyful occasion or a dreadful occasion?
The gospel reading contains the same kind of ambiguity. His parents took the Lord Jesus to the Temple and presented him to the people.
Simeon is overjoyed and exclaims that he has been waiting all his life for the day of salvation when the Messiah would come to save the world from its sins. In the meantime, however, he warns Mary that this child will serve as a symbol of contradiction. The fact of the matter is that God's beautiful gift stands in stark contrast to the deceit and horror that characterize our lives.
Moreover, the coming of salvation in the person of Jesus entails a public denunciation of the selfishness and evil that lurk within our hearts. The arrival of an upright person may make others feel uncomfortable in an environment where everyone else is dishonest. We should consider it a tremendous blessing from God that the appearance of Jesus causes us to feel uncomfortable and reveals the contradictions in our hearts.
So let us express our gratitude to him for revealing our identities. We should come to him and seek comfort in his goodness, not with unacceptably lousy behavior. We have demonstrated in our lives.
The Day of the Lord is a joyful or a terrible occasion. It is the act of presenting ourselves to the Lord that permanently free us from the dead weight accumulated in our hearts. Should we look forward to the coming of the Lord, or should we be afraid of him?
When we offer ourselves to God, we become conscious of everything in our hearts that needs to be removed. Let us pray to the Lord that his beauty may illuminate us and assist us in banishing everything that conflicts with the depths of our being.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
