Wednesday December 28, 2022

“The more we purify our lives and purge our sins — the more we work at becoming holy — the stronger our faith becomes.”

Good News Reflection for:

Feast of the Holy Innocents
December 28, 2022

Today’s Prayer:

Praised be to You, my Lord! You lead my ways and cover me under Your hand, You take care of me and deliver me from everything that hurts me. Give me the grace to listen to You and to trust Your Word fully. Amen.

Subscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

1 John 1:5 — 2:2
Ps 124:2-5, 7-8
Matthew 2:13-18
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122822.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2022-12-28-usccb-daily-mass-readings

Spreading the Light of Christ in a world of darkness

Jesus is the gift of light for a darkened world. In today’s first reading, we read that God is light; in him there is no darkness. Thanks to our baptisms and our daily decisions to follow Christ, his light shines within us. But — how bright is your life?

If we claim we’re following Christ while deliberately doing or condoning what is unGodly and dark, “we are liars”. If we try to be Godly and think we can get through a day without sinning, we’re lying to ourselves. But when we admit our sins, Jesus intercedes for us to the Father, offering himself in our place in order to gain forgiveness for us (bringing his death on the cross into our lives today).

The Light of Christ has no origin, no batteries that wear down, no plug that jolts electrons into brightness, no chemical combustion that explodes into sunshine. The Light of Christ is pure holiness. The Book of Revelation (see chapter 21:23) explains this light. In heaven, we do not need the sun and the moon for light; the glory of God provides the light, and the Lamb (Jesus) is the lamp. Since nothing impure exists in heaven, there is nothing to interfere with this light.

Imagine this amount of God’s light shining here on earth! Well, it can and it does — through you and me. The more we purify our lives and purge our sins — the more we work at becoming holy — the stronger our faith becomes. People become attracted to the presence of Jesus in us the way moths are attracted to the light on your front porch.

Although you and I will probably never shine as brightly as the Saints while on this side of heaven’s door, we can at least glow like heaven’s porch light. Our lives should be drawing others toward heaven. When people come to us because our faith produces love and compassion and helpfulness, they’re being attracted to the Light of Christ within us.

On this day of remembering the Holy Innocents in the Gospel reading, let us call to mind today’s children who are victims of darkness. These include the youth who are being drawn into the occult through activities that are supposedly “harmless” games and fantasy books and movies. They are the children whose minds are being trained in immorality, greed and selfishness through a society that glorifies the Self and worships moral relativism. They are the little ones who have no one taking them to church and teaching them to pray.

Take a few moments to make a list of the children and young people you know who are living in darkness. Post this list where you will see it every day, or place it in your bible. Make a commitment to pray for them from this Christmas season until next. Pray that the Light of Christ will shine in their darkness and deliver them from evil. Pray what we proclaim in today’s responsorial Psalm: May their souls escape “like a bird from the hunter’s snare.” And ask the Holy Spirit, “What actions can I take to bring one of them into your light?”

NOTE: If you’re a parent whose children need prayers, see our Prayers for Parents: gnm.org/prayers-for-parents/

© 2022 by Terry A. Modica

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