Wednesday 4 January
St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774 - 1821) First reading - 1 John 3:7-10 “In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s”. The difference between the children of God and the children of devil is this: “not living a holy life and not loving his brother”. The lack of a holy life and lack of a love towards his brother. Both are totally interconnected and not separated ones. When you have a holy life, it is easy to love your brother. Or better said, when you have a holy life, you will love your brother. In this sense, let’s think the other side: when I cannot love my brother, I am not living a holy life. When I cannot love my brother for any reason, I must improve in my holy life. Normally, when we cannot love our brother or sister, we say, “he or she must behave different”. But according to the reading of today, when we cannot love my brother or sister, it is not him or her that must change but I must grow in holy life. This is a whole new perspective. Let’s reflect: What in me must change to love my brother or sister?
Tuesday 3 January
The Most Holy Name of Jesus First reading - 1 John 2:29-3:6 “Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children;”. Are we really thinking about this lavishness? St. John living in this abundance is expressing very well. Are we really thinking about this lavishness of the love of Father? Most of the times, the answer is negative. If we are really thinking about the lavishness of that love, we cannot be sad, we cannot be depressed, we cannot be disappointed or moody in life. Because the lavishness of God’s love is above all things. And we are children of God. We don’t feel like the children of God because we are not thinking of the love of God the father. When we start thinking of the God as a father who is lavishly loving us, we will feel what it means to be a son or daughter of God. If we really recognize who we are by baptism, we will start thinking about the love of that Father. The lavishness of His love is above all things in our life. Above my weakness and my defects, about my shortcomings and my flaws, He lavishes His love so that we live as His sons and daughters. Let’s reflect: How much love of God are we feeling and how much that lavishness of love is guiding us in our actions of daily life?
Monday 2 January
Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops, Doctors Gospel - John 1:19-28 “a voice that cries in the wilderness: Make a straight way for the Lord”. It’s a voice that cries in the wilderness. A voice that is to be heard… a voice that awakens…a voice that guides…a voice that echoes…a voice that breaks the silence…of the wilderness, in the difficult moments of our life…in the beautiful moments of our life…in the challenging moments of our life. “Make a straight way for the Lord”. Because the Lord wants to be with you. The Lord wants to be with you when you’re crying or smiling. He wants to be there. He awaits our consent. He awaits our welcome as He respects our freedom. He wants a straight way to our heart. Nothing stands in His way. A straight way there are no curves…curves that I build to keep my selfishness, curves that I build to protect my ego. Let’s reflect: How straight is the way of the Lord to my heart?
Sunday 1 January
Mary, the Holy Mother of God Gospel - Luke 2:16-21 “As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart”. Treasuring and pondering…which the heart of Mary, the Holy Mother of God does! How she does that? She does that by saying “fiat” to the will of God and the Word of God always. A constant “yes” to the Word of God can be only the result of treasuring and pondering of the effect of the same Word of God in her life. Not just any treasuring and pondering but doing it in her heart. Doing it in the depth of the soul, in her heart. The Word of God becomes the only treasure and all the thoughts come from it. Only if we really think about the context of the Gospel, we will understand what it means “treasuring and pondering”! They did not get place in inn, the child is born in manger, some shepherds passed by to greet the child… so what is she treasuring and pondering…? It’s the faith in the Word of God that she is treasuring and pondering despite all the contrary situations in which she is living and experiencing. Let’s reflect: are we ready to continue treasuring and pondering the Word of God despite the contradictories which we live?