I can imagine the reactions of one who has just read the Mass readings for today. “The first reading is about Balaam. I know he had a talking donkey, but other than that? This passage doesn’t help me to foster my prayer life.”
And the Gospel? “It is enlightening but unlike other passages depicting Christ’s life and teachings, it doesn’t say much to me right now. I know the purpose of these Magis offerings is to enhance my prayer life. They shouldn’t resemble a page from a CliffsNotes Introduction to Theology 101. They are designed primarily to be helps for prayer, not knowledge. So, what should I do?”
Resolve: I’ll put the readings of today’s Mass aside and go back to the subject matter of that meditation I once made that gave me gave me consolation, and I shall ask the Holy Spirit to enable me today to get more from the text that inspired me then. I shall next prayerfully renew the resolutions I made at the time and ask Jesus to come more tangibly into my life today to prepare me for Christmas.