The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

The thoughts of our hearts are revealed by how we respond to the gospel. Will we be righteous and devout, like Simeon, or will we ignore God’s call when it comes? As we live our lives, we shall have our metal tested in order that our faith (or lack thereof) might be revealed. If we do follow in Christ’s footsteps, then we also must expect to be contradicted by the world and be pierced by the sword of sufferings. We should be accepting of these times of trials because it is through them that we learn what it means to be truly faithful Disciples of Christ. It is through our difficulties that we discover our strengths and weaknesses. Without adversity, we would never know how strong our love for God and His children is. It is easy to love others when there isn’t a cost or when we benefit from the love, but how we react when difficulties arise is the true measure of our characters and the quality of our love.

What lies at the center of our hearts, the world or God? Are we willing to suffer in order to follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit? How does the way we live reveal the thoughts of our hearts?

O Lord, you have blessed us with the gift of your beloved Son, let us respond to your gift by bearing Jesus wherever we go.

Amen.