Daily Gospel Reflection for February 2, 2021

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord - Luke 2:22-40

Where are the trumpets? The shouts of glory, the acclamation of the people? The Lord has entered his Temple! Truly and fully, God comes to reign in Jerusalem!

This is how God was foretold to come - when the Lord enters His Temple, everything will finally be set right! What a day of joyous proportions! But that’s not what happens; there’s no trumpet blasts or celebrations going on when Mary and Joseph bring their month-old child to the Temple. It is indicative of how expectations will be turned on their heels throughout Jesus’ life.

Instead of crowds acclaiming the King, we have Simeon and Anna, two devout Jews, who are the heralds of the Lord entering the Temple, of God coming for the salvation of all. Not only heralds, not only devout and obedient Jews, but prophetic witnesses as well. Anna “gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Lk 2:38) and Simeon speaks also of suffering. Mary shall suffer, but also all of Israel, for “this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel” (Lk 2:34). Jesus, the Lord, is here not just for bringing glory to Israel, but to bring all nations unto Himself. Even now, we see this sword piercing Our Lady’s heart today - when we cannot accept other Christians as followers of Jesus, when we look with condescension upon other religions, when we look at fellow Catholics and declare that they’re not Catholic enough. Such a sharp sword.

The truth is that Jesus came to bring all creation to Himself. And we don’t know what that will look like. We don’t know how He will accomplish this, but we are given an example in His life of how we are to treat the strangers, the orphans, the lost, and those who cannot yet accept all of His teaching.

Ponder:

Am I giving glory to God in how I treat the strangers, the orphans, the lost, and those I disagree with? Where do I struggle the most?

Pray:

Lord Jesus, help us to celebrate Your reign on earth by showing love to all as You showed to us while we, too, were still sinners.

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The truth is that Jesus came to bring all creation to Himself. And we don’t know what that will look like. #dailygospel

Copyright 2021 Jane Korvemaker