Dec 30 2024

First reading 1 John 2:12-17

Observance of the will of God

I am writing to you, my own children,

whose sins have already been forgiven through his name;

I am writing to you, fathers,

who have come to know the one

who has existed since the beginning;

I am writing to you, young men,

who have already overcome the Evil One;

I have written to you, children,

because you already know the Father;

I have written to you, fathers,

because you have come to know the one

who has existed since the beginning;

I have written to you, young men,

because you are strong and God’s word has made its home in you,

and you have overcome the Evil One.

You must not love this passing world

or anything that is in the world.

The love of the Father cannot be

in any man who loves the world,

because nothing the world has to offer

– the sensual body,

the lustful eye,

pride in possessions –

could ever come from the Father

but only from the world;

and the world, with all it craves for,

is coming to an end;

but anyone who does the will of God

remains for ever.

Responsorial Psalm 95(96):7-10

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Give to the Lord, you families of nations,
give to the Lord glory and praise;
give to the Lord the glory due his name!
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
worship the Lord in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Say among the nations: The Lord is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Gospel Luke 2:36-40

Anna speaks of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem

There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.

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Faithful love

In today’s gospel, we are introduced to Anna, an elderly prophetess who faithfully served God and dedicated her life to prayer. When Mary and Joseph entered the Temple, Anna’s faithful love for God opened her eyes to recognise Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. She praised God and spoke of the child to everyone waiting for Jerusalem’s deliverance. In fact, she became the first messenger to proclaim the Good News about Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, sharing her joyous discovery with others and spreading hope and light to those around her. Anna’s life of prayer led her to become a witness to Christ.

Today, we are called to be faithful and prayerful disciples. Let us learn from Anna, embracing the qualities of being contemplative and prayerful people. We should also strive to be active witnesses of God’s presence and His work through our words and actions toward those around us.

Reflective question:
How can Anna, the elderly prophetess, inspire me to live my discipleship?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.