Today's Good News Reflection

The scene in the Gospel reading today takes place when Mary and Joseph carried the baby Jesus into the temple to consecrate his life to God. After his consecration, a Jewish prophetess, named Anna, is moved by the Holy Spirit to recognize that this child is the long awaited Messiah. She rejoices and gives thanks and tells others about his arrival.

Has anyone ever told others that they recognized Jesus in you? When you and I were baptized, we too were consecrated to God, and the Messiah arrived yet again -- in us. We received the life of the Father so that we now belong to his family. We received the Holy Spirit so that we can recognize Jesus like Anna did. And we received Jesus so that we can continue his ministry of redemption in a world that still needs a Messiah.

The verses of our first reading today tell us what it means to belong to the Father. To remain in the family, the word of God has to remain in us. Since Jesus is the Word made flesh (see John 1:14), we must not push him out of our hearts by denying the Word through self-centered decisions and lifestyles. And we must rely on the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to embrace the Word and serve as the word of God in and for the world today.

In order not to divorce ourselves from God's family, we have to know God's will and do it. We have to realize that the enticements of the world are not going to help us in the long run, that they're harmful to our eternal souls and to our eternal relationship with the Holy Family.

Baptism is not a moment in time that guarantees eternal life for us. To continue to reap the benefits of its saving grace, we have to consecrate our lives to God every time the world entices us with something that would draw us away from the Father. Belonging to the Holy Family is a daily decision, sometimes even a moment-by-moment renewal of that decision.

This requires being in a constant state of prayer, communicating with God no matter how busy we are. It means staying awake spiritually.

It means filling our lives with the church family and learning God's will by educating ourselves in scripture and the teachings of the Church.

It means identifying which worldly enticements make us vulnerable to sin and asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in holiness.

It means yearning to be purged of our sins, because we truly desire to remain united to God's family forever.

To renew your baptismal graces, you can use this prayer:

"Lord Jesus, help me to live the consecrated life each and every moment. Holy Spirit, make me aware of the times I fail to do this and show me how to re-consecrate my life to You. Loving Father, accept my desire to be consecrated to You, and help me to know how precious and loved I am as your child. Amen!"