Daily Gospel Reflection for December 31, 2023: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

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

Reflection by Colleen O'Dowd

Today's Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

I think God is always at work to delight me, to overwhelm me, to win my heart over and over again, and to make sure I know I am His. Sometimes I notice and I am delighted and overwhelmed -- and sometimes I am distracted and preoccupied with the world. And I miss it.

Today's Gospel, and our celebration of the Holy Family, is one of those times I think God has spelled His love out in crayon for me.

This is one of those times when there can be no doubt that God is both behind the scenes and in front of the scenes.

• The exuberant joy of Mary and Joseph being able to enter the temple together for the first time in 40 days -- and for the first time with Jesus.
• The certain gratitude for the Jewish background of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus -- that in the purification and presentation rites -- we would also recognize that this is the moment when Mary and Joseph officially surrender the person of Jesus to the world!
• The knowing confidence that our Lord and Savior Jesus came into the world through the veil of poverty -- invading humanity without pomp and circumstance -- as is evidenced by the two turtle doves, the smallest offering one could make in the temple, reserved for the poorest of the poor. From the very beginning, God chose to accompany the most vulnerable.
• The expectant hope of Simeon and Anna, who through their individual circumstances had waited to encounter Jesus by the promise of God’s Holy Spirit. We know and have faith that God is Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. How wonderful it is when we get to see it and realize it for ourselves!

And how exquisite that must be for God!

Ponder:

What is God, like Simeon, waiting with expectant hope for me to surrender to Him?

Pray:

Lord Jesus, You wait for me to bring my whole heart, mind, soul, and strength to You. Help me to thirst to be close to You the way You invite me to draw near to You.

Click to tweet:
God is always at work to delight me, to overwhelm me, to win my heart over and over again, and to make sure I know I am His. #DailyGospel

Copyright 2023 Colleen O'Dowd

Colleen O’Dowd is a parish missionary at Our Lady of Ransom in Niles, IL. She loves being Catholic; her Converse All Stars, Crocs and socks are always liturgically correct; and she is a super-saint-geek! She blogs ultra-occasionally at www.ourheartswereburningwithin.wordpress.com and can also be found @catholiccolleen on Twitter and Instagram.