30 December 2014
The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Anna, whom we meet in today’s Gospel, was a witness to the authentic religious tradition of Israel. She was one of “the poor of the Lord”, those who were out of step with the popular culture. We’ll be able to live out Christmas joy if we have the heart of “the poor of the Lord”. And what does that mean? The First Reading gives us a hint.
Whatever our age, we realize that our eternal salvation is anchored in our familiarity and love of God our Father and his son Jesus. He pardons our sins and protects from the snares of Satin. What are these snares? They are not airy abstractions. They are real beef – beliefs and practices diametrically opposed to the teaching of Jesus and extolled in the secular media. They are “Satan’s snares”.
How do we avoid such snares? By being honest with and tough on ourselves; by knowing our culture, seeing the good in it and by being unafraid to confront those parts that are in conflict with the teachings of Christ and his Church; by being open to the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom of God is in our midst.