Reflecting Him

Daily Reflection – 1/9/2026

Sacred Scripture

Now there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately. Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray. ( Luke 5:12-16)

Reflection

Today’s Gospel brings us to the very heart of Jesus’ ministry. Tender. Compassionate. Loving. Unceasing. All‑encompassing. A love like no other — and a love He asks us to share.

But before we can share the love of Christ, we must learn how to love Him. We must seek Him out, sit at His feet, follow Him through the Gospels, watch what He does and listen to what He says. He wants to teach us how to become fishers of men, and the first lesson is this: love touches what the world refuses to touch.

The leper in today’s passage did not simply need physical healing — he needed to be seen, acknowledged, embraced. Jesus could have healed him with a word spoken from a distance. Instead, He stretched out His hand and touched the untouchable. That touch restored more than skin; it restored dignity, belonging, and hope.

Jesus loves to meet our physical needs, but He longs even more to meet our deepest need — the healing of our souls. He wants us to come to Him not only for relief, but for relationships. Not only for comfort, but for conversion. Not only for help, but for eternal life.

And He wants us to love others in the same way.
Quietly. Selflessly. Without applause.

Too often we want our compassion to be noticed. We want our generosity to be appreciated. But true acts of mercy are done simply out of love. Hidden kindness purifies the heart. Unseen compassion shapes us into the likeness of Christ.

Then we are ready for the next step.

Christ calls us to love the “lepers” of today — the modern outcasts, the ones on the margins, the ones the world avoids. Those who feel unattractive or unwanted. Those whose illnesses are long and exhausting. Those with mental or emotional wounds. Those who believe their sins are unforgivable. Those who are homeless, abandoned, or alone. Those who silently cry, like Henri Nouwen once wrote, “Please love me.”

This was the cry of the leper.
This is the cry of countless souls around us.

And Jesus invites us to respond as He did — by reaching out, by touching the untouchable, by loving those who rarely receive love

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, teach me to love as You love.
Stretch out my hand toward those I would rather avoid.
Give me the courage to touch the untouchable,
to see the unseen,
to love the unloved.
Purify my intentions so that my compassion flows from a heart shaped by Yours.
Make me an instrument of Your tenderness in a world starving for affection, acceptance, and hope.”

Daily Note

The Lord Jesus is always ready to show us his mercy and to free us from whatever makes us unclean, unapproachable, or unloving. As He loves us, so too are we to love,

Daily Reflection – 1/9/2026

Sacred Scripture

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” (Luke 4:14-22)

Reflection

The Gospel today presents both a dramatic scene and a serious exhortation. Here is Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth after being baptized by John The Baptist. Some in his town heard of his dynamic preaching come to the synagogue keenly interested in this carpenter’s son. He is handed the scroll, opens it, reads the passage, and then announces that it is fulfilled in Him and then sits down in the posture of serious preaching. The message is few in words but powerful in effect. It marks the very nature of His ministry, His outreach to all, including the marginalized and His expectations of you and me.

His itinerant career is a pattern for every Christian life, in a sense. He is the light of the world, and through his disciples – through their words, actions, and example – he brings that light to shine in all the darkened corners of the globe. He wants to bring his truth (that which he taught) and his grace (that which heals both body and soul) to every human heart and to every nation. This is his mission; and it’s ours as well.

Jesus Christ came to found a family, whose mother, brothers, and sisters are those who “hear the word of God and observe it.” Hebrew, uses the same word for “hear” and for “obey.” We are called to hear the word of God as a word to be done, as a word to be fulfilled in us who hear

But are enough of us doing that? It’s not about wearing out our kneeling pads. Nothing wrong about that but if that’s all that there is, we have missed the heart of his message about hearing, obeying and carrying out the very word of God. It’s using the word of God to measure our daily actions – to evaluate whether we have indeed reached out, lived out and opened ourselves to the Holy Spirit.

Our mission in life, in the Church, and in the world is one that we must carry out Much of the frustrations, conflicts, and discouragements that Christians experience come from forgetting this fact. We decide what we can do. We choose the agenda. Some even twist the words of Sacred Scripture to fit their own agendas. Too often, we don’t stop, reflect and let the Holy Spirit speak to us, open us, direct us.

Remember Mary’s words? “Let Thy will be done.” Are we willing to allow His words of Truth to penetrate our hearts and transform our life? Are we willing to let His will be done in our life . . . by living out His will?

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams. Through the gift of your Holy Spirit, you bring us truth, freedom, and abundant life. Fill me with the joy of the Gospel and inflame my heart with love and zeal for you and for your kingdom of peace and righteousness.”

Daily Note

Jesus came to bring “good news” to those who suffer, to free captives, and to cure the blind – he came because we needed him to come. We suffer the moral agony of incurable selfishness; we are shackled by our strong tendencies to sin; we are blinded by the sparkling allure of temptation, we put our ego above all. We too often forget that He came to be our Savior. And when we truly contemplate him, he attracts us with a force that leaves all other material realities far behind. If we want to experience life as God means it to be lived, all we need to do is call upon the name of Jesus and follow where he leads; he is all for us, the perfect friend, the one we can trust without limits

Dailly Reflection – 11/7/2026

Sacred Scripture

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:45-52)

Reflection

We’ve all been there—those moments when life feels calm and blessed, and our hearts overflow with gratitude to God. But then come the storms: sadness, fear, confusion, and trials that shake us to our core. It’s in those dark hours, especially when the world around us seems filled with anger, division, and misinformation, that we ask the hardest question: “Where is God in all of this?”

The disciples faced a similar moment on the stormy sea. After a long day of ministry, they were battered by wind and waves, and then they saw something terrifying—a figure walking on the water. They thought it was a ghost. Their fear was real and raw. But Jesus, seeing their terror, did not pass by. He spoke words that still echo through the ages: “It is I; do not be afraid.”

How often do we fail to recognize Jesus in the storms of our lives? How often do we mistake His presence for something frightening or distant? Yet, just as Jesus stepped into the boat with the disciples, calming the wind and their hearts, He longs to enter our fears and doubts. He invites us to trust Him, to “take courage,” and to live in the peace that only He can give.

Jesus has created us not to drown in fears and anxieties, not to be inundated by the toxic pool of our sinfulness, but to live by faith, to immerse ourselves in the depths of his mercy, to adore him on land and on sea, to be strengthened by him and know that we’ve got nothing to fear because he is with us, even if we’re in the midst of ferocious storms.

For this to occur, however, we must trust him. We must believe in him.

Faith is not the absence of fear but the courage to face it with Jesus by our side. The world may rage with anger and confusion, but God’s perfect love casts out fear. The apostle John assures us that “there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.” When we grasp the depth of God’s love—love that triumphed over death itself—we find a courage that cannot be shaken.

So today, when the storms come—and they will—let us remember the voice of Jesus calling us to courage. Let us open our hearts to His presence, trusting that He is with us on every sea, in every trial. Let us live not as those overwhelmed by fear, but as those empowered by perfect love.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, in the storms of life when fear threatens to overwhelm me, speak Your reassuring words: “It is I; do not be afraid.” Help me to see Your presence clearly, to trust Your love deeply, and to find courage in Your peace. Teach me to walk by faith, not by sight, and to live boldly in the confidence of Your perfect love. Calm my heart, steady my soul, and fill me with hope that shines even in the darkest night. Amen”

Daily Note

The Lord never leaves us alone, but keeps constant watch over us at all times, especially when we are tempted and feel weak or helpless. Jesus assures us that we do not have to give into fear or discouragement if we put our trust in Him and remember his great love for us. He will see us through any trial that comes our way

Daily Reflection – 1/6/2026

Sacred Scripture

As Jesus went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.”’ When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. (Mark 6:34-44)

Reflection

Of all the miracles Jesus performed, the feeding of the five thousand is the only one recorded in all four Gospels. That alone tells us something. Each evangelist believed this moment carried a lesson the Church could not afford to miss.

The obvious message is powerful enough:
When the Lord gives, He gives abundantly.
He gives more than we need so that we may have something to share with those who lack. God takes the little we offer and multiplies it for the good of others.

But as with every Gospel story, the lesson eventually circles back to us.
We must pause and ask: What is this saying to me?
Because His Word is meant to be our compass in a world that has lost its sense of direction.

We live in a society on edge. People panic at the slightest hint of danger. Many face physical and spiritual hunger. Countless souls quietly ask:
“Why am I here?”
“What should I do with my life?”
“Does anyone love me?”
“What will become of me?”

And that is where you and I come in… again.

“Again” because discipleship is never a one‑time act.
There can be no kingdom of heaven in our living if we do not walk the right path. Teaching the kingdom is teaching freedom — freedom from fear, from powerlessness, from the “wild dogs” and false shepherds that mislead and devour.

Jesus makes it unmistakably clear:
If we want to follow Him, we must get involved.
We must be willing to sacrifice, to deny ourselves, to help our sisters and brothers.
And He tells us plainly that this is the happiest way to live.

Why?
Because look at the reward.
Imagine the joy of standing there that day, watching five loaves and two fish become a feast for thousands — and ending with more than you began.

In His words: “You give them something to eat.”

The joy we receive comes from helping people feed their souls. If we overlook the soul‑feeding Jesus did as He “taught them many things,” we shortchange both ourselves and the hungry crowd in which we live.

Think of the times you stepped out in faith, beyond your comfort zone, to help someone. Think of the times you received unexpected help.Time and again, each of us has stories of “blessings in disguise” — moments, people, places God used to bring a miracle into our daily struggles. These moments strengthen faith, change lives, and reveal God’s face to us.

We were created in His image. When we become instruments of His love and mercy, we fulfill part of our purpose. Getting involved makes the Christian life a joy. We become part of God’s exciting work in the world. And without a doubt, we end with more than we began — more joy, more meaning, more blessing, both spiritual and temporal.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus,
You see the hunger of the world with compassion, not fear. Teach us to see as You see, to love as You love, and to offer what little we have with trust that You will multiply it. Give us courage to step beyond ourselves to feed the souls around us with Your truth, and to become instruments of Your mercy and joy. Make us willing participants in Your miracles, so that in giving, we may receive even more of You.”

Daily Note

Sharing loaves to the hungry may sound clichéd for others, but for the starved, it’s a miracle. Part of our time listening to a friend in despair and comforting him is sharing our loaves of bread to him. Calling a relative and asking him how he is and his family is also sharing our meals. Making children laugh and teaching them to be grateful for daily miracles and blessings is also sharing our loaves. Being kind to the people we live in one roof (like our family) is also sharing our loaves. More so, forgiving ourselves from our past mistakes and sins is also sharing God’s living bread.

Daily Reflection – 1/5/2026

Sacred Scripture

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles —  the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
 And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. (Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25)

Reflection

Jesus’ words here are not gentle suggestions; they are declarations of identity. He doesn’t say, “Try to be salt” or “Work toward being light.” He says, “You are.” That identity is rooted in Him, not in our own striving. Salt and light are ordinary, everyday elements, yet their impact is extraordinary. Salt preserves, flavors, and heals. Light reveals, guides, and protects. In the same way, disciples of Jesus are meant to bring preservation, flavor, and illumination into a world that often feels bland, decaying, or dark.

But notice the warning: salt can lose its saltiness, and light can be hidden. When our faith becomes diluted by compromise or concealed by fear, we lose the very distinctiveness that makes us transformative. The world doesn’t need Christians who blend in—it needs Christians who stand out, not for self-glory but for God’s glory.

Think about salt in food. A pinch changes everything. It doesn’t take much to alter the flavor. Likewise, a single word of encouragement, a small act of kindness, or a quiet stand for truth can shift the atmosphere around us. Light works the same way. Even the smallest candle pushes back darkness. Jesus is reminding us that our presence, however ordinary, carries extraordinary potential when rooted in Him.

This passage also challenges us to consider whether we are living visibly. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Yet many of us hide our faith, fearing rejection or ridicule. Jesus calls us to live openly, not arrogantly, but authentically—so that others see God’s love through us. Salt and light are not ends in themselves; they exist for the sake of others. Our identity as salt and light is missional: we are here to flavor the world with grace and illuminate it with truth.

There are turning points in our lives bring us face to face with Jesus and they come in lots of ways. Sometimes they come as we planned, worked, and hoped for. Other times they are completely unexpected and take us by surprise. Sometimes they bring us joy and gladness. Other times we are filled with sorrow and loss. Sometimes they affirm everything we thought and believed. Other times they leave us confused and not knowing what we believe.

With each turning point we see ourselves, others, and the world differently, we think differently, we focus on different concerns, we ask different questions, and we move in different directions. What they all have in common, however, is Jesus’ invitation, his command, to follow him. An opportunity for and the promise of Christ to refashion our lives. To refashion our lives by following Him with a sincere heart and a truthful life.

To be that salt to others. To be that light to others. To be the reflection of Christ to others.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, thank You for declaring that we are salt and light in Your kingdom. Forgive us when we hide our faith or dilute our witness. Strengthen us to live authentically, bringing flavor, preservation, and illumination into the spaces You place us. May our lives point others to You, the true Light of the world. Amen.”

Daily Note

See the ways that your actions keep you from God and reject those actions. And look for the ways that God is active in your life and embrace those acts of mercy.

Do not only think about Him saying this many years ago; rather, hear it said to you, today, tomorrow and every day of your life. There will never be a time in your life when you do not need to repent with all your heart. We will never reach perfection in this life, so repentance must be our daily mission. 

Daily Reflection – 1/2/2026Sacred Scripture

This is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. (John 1:19-28)

Reflection

“I am not the Christ… I am the voice.”

John the Baptist stands as one of Scripture’s towering figures—fearless, faithful, uncompromising, aflame with the message of God. Jesus Himself said that among those born of women, none had arisen greater than John. And yet, in this passage, we see something astonishing:” the greatest man of his age bowing low in humility.

When priests and Levites come to interrogate him, John refuses every title they try to pin on him
“He will not claim honor, attention, or spiritual prestige. He will not grasp identity. He will not inflate himself.

He is simply “a voice”—a sound carried on the wind—whose only purpose is to prepare the way for Another.

This is the mark of every true saint of God. Their gifts may differ. Their personalities may vary. Their ministries may look nothing alike.But in one thing they are always the same: they are clothed with humility.
They are willing to decrease so that Christ may increase.

Humility is not self‑degradation. It is not insecurity. It is not shrinking back from calling or responsibility. Humility is the clear-eyed recognition that Christ is everything, and we are His beacons. It is the grace with which every Christian journey begins—and the grace that shines most beautifully at the end of a faithful life.

But John’s words also carry a warning that echoes into our own day:
“Among you stands One you do not know.”

Christ is still standing among us—
in our churches,
in our neighborhoods,
in our conversations,
in the quiet invitations of the Spirit—
and yet many do not see Him.
Many do not hear Him.
Many do not recognize Him.

Money, they know. Pleasure, they know. Ambition they know. The world they know.
But Christ they do not know. The kingdom of God stands close—achingly close—and still so many sleep.

Every faithful minister, every honest disciple, can testify that this is true. Christ walks to and fro in our land, calling, inviting, beckoning souls to follow Him. It is a sobering thought: to have Christ standing among us and not to know Him.

So the question becomes deeply personal: What are we doing? Are we awake to His presence? Do we recognize His voice? Do we welcome Him when He draws near? Or do we, too, risk missing the One who stands in our midst?

John the Baptist calls us back to the beginning of discipleship: humility, attentiveness, readiness. A willingness to step aside so Christ may step forward.
A heart that says, “Not me, but Him.”

May we be people who know the One who stands among us— and who point others to Him with the same humility, clarity, and courage as John

Prayer of The Day

“Holy God, You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Your Son with humility, clarity, and courage. Clothe us with that same spirit. Open our eyes to the Christ who stands among us,
our ears to His voice and our hearts to His presence. Keep us from the blindness that misses Your nearness and awaken us to the grace that walks beside us every day. May Christ increase in us, and may we decrease in all the ways that keep us from Him.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Daily Note

Each of us must prepare our whole lives for the Second Coming of Christ. That calls us to action in asking forgiveness of our sin and forming our hearts so that we can receive Christ and recognize Him when He comes. It also calls us to recognize Him in the least among us, as Christ Himself commanded, and form ourselves in caritas so that we may lift others in an expression of love rather than obligation.

Daily Reflection – 12/31/2025

Sacred Scripture

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only begotten Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ “From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.  (John 1:1-18)

Reflection

On the final day of a long, exhausting year, the Church gives us John’s prologue—the “Christmas Gospel.” It isn’t sentimental. It isn’t decorative. It is the blazing truth at the center of our faith: God became human so that humans could become divine.

John doesn’t start with shepherds or angels. He starts before time itself.
“In the beginning was the Word…”
Christ existed before creation, before breath, before light. And then, in a breathtaking act of humility, the eternal Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us. He didn’t visit. He stayed. He remains.

You’d think that would make us leap for joy every morning.
But the world is loud.
Sorrow is heavy.
And when life wears us down, we slip into thinking Christianity is a religion instead of the living partnership Jesus came to offer.

Jesus didn’t come to establish a system.
He came to share His life.
He came so that the life of God could take root in us.

Yet when God Himself walked into our darkness, we did not welcome Him.
And the signs of that rejection still echo today—anger, division, contempt, the endless polemic of hate. These are not just social problems. They are symptoms of humanity turning away from the One who came to heal us.

But that is not who we are meant to be.
That is not why God took on flesh.

Jesus entered every corner of our human experience:
born in poverty, raised in simplicity, misunderstood, rejected, beaten, crucified.
He came to a broken world and allowed Himself to be broken by it—
so that we could be made whole.

And here is the part we still struggle to internalize:
Human beings are meant to be the visible signs of God’s invisible presence.
If we believed that—really believed it—everything would change:
how we see ourselves, how we speak, how we forgive, how we love.

We carry wounds.
We doubt our worth.
We bend under guilt and listen to condemning voices that whisper we are not enough.

But Jesus shouts over those voices:
“You are worth everything to me.
I will make you good.
You do not need to die.
I came to do it for you.
Now live—really live.”

This is the Gospel.
This is the light that shines in the darkness.
This is the glory we have seen, “full of grace and truth.”

Prayer of The Day

Almighty God and Father of light,
your eternal Word leaped down from heaven
in the silent watches of the night.
Open our hearts to receive His life
and increase our vision with the rising of dawn,
that our lives may be filled with His glory and His peace.
Amen.

Daily Note

Jesus is not like some distant relative that you see every couple of years. He wants to take up residence in our life. He wants to be the “go-to” person of our life. He wants to be engaged and involved. But because Jesus became a man God came down here, living in our midst. We could never reach him up there, but in love he came down here to us. He became touchable, approachable, and reachable.

Daily Reflection – 12/30/2025

Sacred Scripture

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:36-40)

Reflection

Today we meet Anna, the prophetess. An elderly woman of God, dwelling in the temple, praying day and night, who takes the infant Jesus into her arms and instantly recognizes Him as the redemption of the world.

It’s a beautiful moment—Biblical, familiar, woven into the Christmas story. But we have a choice here. We can simply enjoy it as part of the narrative… or we can pause and let Anna speak to us. Let her life interpret ours.

Anna could have chosen a very different path. Widowed young, childless, living in a society where women were often unseen and unheard, she could have folded inward in sorrow or resentment. She could have concluded that God had abandoned her.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she spent the decades of her life worshipping, fasting, praying, thanking God, and—after encountering Jesus—proclaiming Him to all who longed for redemption. Her life was not about herself. It was about God.

Hmmm.

Anna knew disappointment. She knew grief. She knew the limitations placed on her by her culture. Yet she did not live in the “if onlys.” She did not rehearse regrets. She fixed her eyes forward—on God, on hope, on the future He promised.

Hmmm.

And that steadfast love, that trust, that unquenchable hope gave her a remarkable gift: she could see beyond the Cradle, through the Cross, all the way to the Crown. She reminds us that faith is not merely for the pleasant seasons. It is for the storms, the losses, the long nights. She whispers to us that the final chapter of faith is glory—the salvation Christ brings, the eternal life He promises.

Hmmm.

One more “hmmm.” Anna teaches us that authentic hope reaches far beyond the day-to-day. Trials will come. Setbacks will come. Disappointments will come. And each one will either weigh us down or press us closer to God. The choice is ours: rely on our own strength, or entrust ourselves wholly to the God who sustains, strengthens, and saves.

Where is your hope placed? Scripture tells us that God gives a supernatural hope, a love stronger than death, and a joy no sorrow can steal.

Be a person of long-haul hope. The world needs steady, faithful souls. Your friends, your children, your grandchildren need to see in you a life shaped by expectation—one that looks beyond the cradle, beyond the cross, and sees the Crown of Salvation.

Prayer of The Day

Lord, may I never cease to hope in You and to trust in Your promises. Kindle in me a zeal for Your kingdom and deepen my love for prayer, that my life may overflow with praise and worship. Amen.

Daily Note

Anna’s hope and trust in God did not waver but grew with age. What enabled Anna to persevere for so many years and through difficult times? She never ceased to give thanks to God each and every day. She worshiped God in daily prayer, and with fasting and intercession on behalf of her people. And she never ceased to cling to God’s word and to speak of his word to others to bring them encouragement and hope. She believed with hopeful expectation that she would one day see her Lord and Redeemer face to face. Anna is a model of persevering faith and hope to all who hunger for God and for his saving word.

Daily Reflection – 12/29/2025

Sacred Scripture

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.” 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.” (Luke 2:22-35)

Reflection

Simeon’s prophecy is one of the most arresting moments in the infancy narratives. He sees in the fragile child what the world cannot yet see: the dividing line between illusion and truth, between self-made identity and God-given identity.

Jesus is the “sign that will be contradicted” not because He seeks conflict, but because truth inevitably exposes falsehood, and love inevitably exposes the poverty of selfishness. His very presence reveals hearts.

And those who follow Him inherit that same vocation. We need to remember that contradiction is not about being contrarian. It’s about:

• Standing for mercy in a culture that rewards vengeance
• Choosing humility in a world obsessed with self-promotion
• Valuing the unseen, the quiet, the faithful, the sacrificial
• Loving those who cannot repay us
• Speaking truth when silence would be easier
• Remaining rooted in God when the world demands we root ourselves in its shifting sands

To contradict the world is not to reject humanity, it is to reject the illusions that keep humanity from flourishing.

The Cross: The Ultimate Contradiction. Look at it.

• The vertical beam reaching toward God
• The horizontal beam stretching across the world

At the intersection stands Jesus—where heaven contradicts earth, and earth is invited to rise into heaven.

The Cross is not only the sign of contradiction; it is the sign of transformation. It reveals that contradiction is not destruction but resurrection.

Living Christ’s Values in a World of Counterfeits

Christ’s values—love, respect, acceptance, and reverence for human dignity—are revolutionary. They overturn systems of exclusion and pride. They expose the false gods of popularity and power. Living these values is a daily commitment to stand with Christ in truth, compassion, and hope.

These are not soft virtues. They are revolutionary. They overturn systems of exclusion, pride, and fear. They expose the false gods of popularity, power, and self-image.

To live these values is to stand with Christ in the temple, in the streets, on the Cross—and ultimately in the resurrection.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, You are the truth that unmasks every lie and the light that no darkness can overcome. Give me the courage to stand with You even when the world pushes back. Let my life contradict anything that contradicts Your love. Shape my heart so that in me others may glimpse Your mercy, compassion, and steadfast hope. Strengthen my ‘yes’ so it may join Yours in building Your kingdom on earth. Amen.”

Daily Note

Jesus is indeed the Light of revelation to the Gentiles, but the way he intends to bring that light to all the nations is by sending us, one candle at a time, burning with his holy flame, to light everyone the whole world ablaze with the light of his truth and the warmth of his love. That’s what the Holy Spirit wants to move us and help us to do.

Daily Reflection -12/.24/2025

Sacred Scripture

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”   (Luke 1:67-79)

Reflection

The Christmas season is filled with song and joy, and Scripture itself gives us two of the most profound hymns of praise: Mary’s Magnificat and Zechariah’s Benedictus. Two days ago, we heard Mary’s song of humility and exaltation. Today, we hear Zechariah’s song, beginning with the word Blessing. It is a hymn that rises out of silence, suffering, and waiting, and it proclaims the faithfulness of God.

Zechariah’s journey was not easy. Struck mute for his disbelief, he endured months of silence, unable to speak even as his wife Elizabeth carried the miraculous child within her. In that silence, he could have surrendered to despair, feeling abandoned by God. Yet he did not. He waited. He trusted. And when his tongue was finally loosed, what poured forth was not bitterness but blessing. His Benedictus is a testimony that God’s fidelity outlasts human doubt, and that suffering can become the soil in which praise blossoms.

In his song, Zechariah recognizes the prophetic mission of his newborn son, John. This child would prepare the way for the Lord, serving as the dawn that announces the rising Sun. Zechariah sees beyond the cradle to the cosmic role his son will play in salvation history. John’s life will be a herald of hope, pointing to the One who is the Light of the world. Through his words, Zechariah assures us that God is not distant but present, not absent but active, shining into the shadows of death with tender mercy.

The Benedictus speaks directly into the human condition. We all know the darkness of mortality, the shadow of death that hangs over human destiny. Yet Zechariah proclaims comfort: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, the daybreak from on high will shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow.” This is the heart of the Incarnation. The birth of Jesus is not merely a sentimental story; it is God’s decisive act of entering into our humanity. He became one of us so that we might know Him as Emmanuel—God with us. He journeys with His people, not as a distant deity but as a companion in flesh and blood.

Christmas, then, is not about preparing for death but for life. Jesus comes to teach us how to truly live, to prepare us for the eternal embrace of the Father. Zechariah’s blessing reminds us that the Holy Spirit longs to give us vision, joy, and confidence in God’s merciful love. Like John, we too are called to prepare the way for Christ—in our homes, workplaces, and communities. Life is a journey, and each day we move either closer to the Lord or further away. The Lord visits us daily through His Word and Spirit, inviting us to draw nearer.

As Advent draws to its close, we are humbled by the threefold message of Zechariah’s song: God’s faithfulness, our call to prepare, and the promise of life. The tender child in Bethlehem will grow to liberate us from sin, and each day we are invited to embody His destiny by showing Christ in our actions. Christmas formalizes this invitation, beckoning us to take another step closer to God. The question remains: will we accept?

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, you have been gracious and merciful towards your people. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may bear witness to the joy of the Gospel to those around me.”

Daily Note

More beautiful or poignant words have never been spoken to foretell the ultimate event in all of human history–God becoming man and entering the world so as to die for our salvation.  Only a God with unfathomable “merciful compassion” would humble himself to the point of taking human flesh and “become obedient to death, even death on a cross.”  (Philippians 2:8)

But come He did on a cold December night almost 2025 years ago. Though He came as a helpless babe born in a shed, the dawning light he would shine on the world sitting in darkness could not be contained, allowing each of us the chance to become partakers in God’s divine nature.  “God became a man so that following a man–something you are able to do–you might reach God, which was formerly impossible to you.”  (St. Augustine)