2 January 2015
Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
The first reading is complex. John writes: “the anointing you have received remains in your hearts.” Who does the anointing? The Holy Spirit. What is immediate result? Christ whose fullness is in the Father dwells within us. What is the final result? The presence of the Three Persons is cause for assurance at our final judgment.
Christmas takes on a deeper meaning when we reflect on this message. We come to see that Christ, the baby born in Bethlehem, now lives in us and in those about us. The Holy Spirit deepens this truth for us, and so during this Christmas season we should often turn to the Holy Spirit.
And what should we ask of him? The responsorial psalm for today’s mass may help us. “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.” Ever since Christmas, the Lord continues through his Church to show his love for all humanity in a very special way. He calls each one of us to be living witnesses to that infinite love. So we ask the Holy Spirit to deepen that realization within us and to show us how we make it known to others as well. That is what vocation means.