And of what should we be afraid?
And of what should we be afraid? Our captain on this battlefield is Christ Jesus. We have discovered what we have to do. Christ has bound our enemies for us and weakened them that they cannot overcome us unless we so choose to let them. So we must fight courageously and mark ourselves with the sign of the most Holy Cross.
— St. Catherine of Sienna
The perfection of a Christian consists in mortifying his will for the love of Christ. Where there is no great mortification, there is no great sanctity.
— St. Philip Neri
Until we have acquired genuine prayer, we are like people teaching children to begin to walk.
— St. Margaret Mary Alocoque
| 1 John 2: 3 - 11 |
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| 3 | And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. |
| 4 | He who says “I know him” but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; |
| 5 | but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: |
| 6 | he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. |
| 7 | Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. |
| 8 | Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. |
| 9 | He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. |
| 10 | He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. |
| 11 | But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. |
| Psalms 96: 1 - 3, 5 - 6 |
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| 1 | O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! |
| 2 | Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. |
| 3 | Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! |
| 5 | For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but the LORD made the heavens. |
| 6 | Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. |
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
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