"Beads of Joy" by RosaryManJim: Respond

BEADS OF JOY 12-29-18

“Respond – To The Spirit”

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 2:22-35 (Presentation In The Temple)

“And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."

Reflection:
What an absolutely beautiful day to celebrate. Today’s gospel is “The Presentation of Jesus in The Temple". This is also the Fourth Joyful Mystery. See how the Rosary is all about scripture, hence it's all about Jesus. Today our Lord takes His first journey to His Father's house; 40 days after His birth according to Mosaic Law, an absolutely exciting journey indeed. When this is celebrated as the feast day it is often called "Candlemas", meaning "Candle Mass" in my research I have also found that this day is also referred to as "Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin", I heard of that one; but I also came across, "Hypapante tou kyriou" which means: the meeting of the Lord in the temple, I never heard of that one before. Either way it is a rather interesting find in my research, I thought I’d share.

How in tune with the Holy Spirit are you? Simeon without a doubt knew his mission in life and hence devoted his life to stay in tune with it. Let us take a moment to really RESPOND to this, with all our heart. Do you see where this is all going on its simplest understanding? What is the one thing that the Holy Spirit always seeks? To be with Jesus…of cause!!! Meaning as a foundational approach on seeking out God’s will in our life, at minimum, let us spend as much time as we can in His presence. How about this: Attending Mass not only on Sunday; but also, as many times as we can throughout the week. Another idea might be, spending time is in Eucharist Adoration, let’s say one to two hours a month to start with.

Mary was blessed beyond our understanding of blessing; being our Lord’s mother she would have a sword pierce her heart when her Son would be sacrificed. This was something Simeon knew about and prophesied to Mary and Joseph. The crowns Mary has is both filled Joy and Sorrow; we to have also been blessed with the ability to carry both understandings of this. Our heart hurts when our Lord takes up His cross and dies for us; while at the same time we are filled with unending Joy when He rises from the tomb. How about you, have you fully surrendered your life to God with an immeasurable faith and true trust in God?

Let us pray:
Almighty and ever-loving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was on this day presented in the temple, we to may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

Solomon's Temple Explained

Apologetics:

Defending Mary, the Mother of God

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

Today is Saturday: We pray the Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation (Humility) – Luke 1:26-28
2. The Visitation (Love of Neighbor) – Luke 1:39-45
3. The Birth of Jesus (Poverty of Spirit) – Luke 2:1-20
4. The Presentation (Purity of Mind & Spirit) – Luke 2:22-38
5. Finding in The Temple (Obedience) –Luke 2:41-50

I simply love Saturday mornings, because Saturday like every other day of the week -begins with the Rosary.