THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The light to enlighten the Gentiles
and give glory to Israel, your people. LK 2:32

MALACHI 3:1-4 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for always sending messengers to prepare the way for Your coming not just into the world but into our lives, every day, moment by moment. Keep us sensitive and aware to the times of Your coming. Just as Mary and Joseph brought You, the Son of God and the Son of Man into the Temple to present You to the Father, so also, my Lord and my God, You come into the sanctuary of our hearts and make our bodies Your holy temple.

Thank You for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and for forgiving us time and time again for profaning this temple . Thank You for not rejecting us but humbly stooping low to come in us and remain in us. Forgive our propensity to sin and evil and for choosing our baser desires over those that are holy and pure. We are weak Lord, fill us with the wisdom of Your Holy Spirit and with His gifts so we may always choose life, choose You, and choose that which saves us and at the end of this earthly journy You will bring us home to Yourself forever.

PSALM 23(24):7-10 ©

O gates, lift high your heads;

grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war.

O gates, lift high your heads;

grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

Who is he, the king of glory?

He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.

Who is the king of glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.

LUKE 2:22-40 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

To Simeon was given the divine assurance that he would not die until he laid eyes on the Savior of the world. Led by the Holy Spirit to the temple when Mary and Joseph brought You to be presented to the Lord, he took You in his arms and prayed and blessed God for keeping His promise:

‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,

just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’

But we, my Beloved, are even more blessed than Simeon, he had a momentary glimpse of divinity, we have seen the whole work of redemption of the human race. We are in awe at the love of the Father and Your humility and obedience in lovingly embracing Your Father's will to take on a human body and offering it as the only acceptable, holy, and living Sacrifice by taking upon Yourself the sins, the frailties, the brokenness of the human race in expiation of the sins of humanity. Not only than, Lord, we eat Your Body, we drink Your Blood and for a while in Holy Communion we are privileged to taste and experience the eternal intimacy of being with You, the Father and the Holy Spirit in heaven.

May we, like Mary and Joseph do all that the law of God requires with the assistance of the Holy Spirit so we will enter into glory when we pass from this life to the next.