Reflection for December 30
Iya, age 8
As I reflect on what prophetess Anna did when she saw the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph in the temple in Jerusalem, I’m reminded that we are all called to “pray without ceasing” as Anna did during her whole life and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all the people we encounter on our journey through life.
Sharing this news takes many forms; we can pray together and individually pray for ourselves and each other. We can seek justice in the public forum for the oppressed and marginalized members of our society (which is desperately needed in our world today). We can also perform intentional acts of kindness with no expectation of the same kindness being returned. We can stop letting the world and some of its leaders try to make us demonize and devalue the worth of people who do not share our beliefs, our culture, our values, and our political positions. We can spend time healing rifts between family members and friends, by focusing on what we have in common.
It is a reminder that Jesus brought us a new commandment to love one another as ourselves, which means turning away from selfishness, greed, envy, hatred, and violence. We are called to be beacons of love, compassion, forgiveness, and mercy to everyone in our lives.
May we all be inspired to live out the good news by letting Christ’s teachings guide us in how we speak, act, and interact with all of God’s creation.
Rick Carterud