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Psalm Reflection: The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - Cycle C

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Psalm Reflection: The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - Cycle C

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.” - Psalms 128

I will periodically talk to my single friends who are in their 30s and 40s about what the dating world is like for them. They pretty much unanimously agree that it is a nightmare.

The horror stories they tell me break my heart and make me so grateful that I am not in that world anymore. I do not envy anyone who is out there navigating dating today, and it is clear they are far better people than I am to have the ability to hope and persevere in extraordinary ways.

You could say, I fear what would happen to me if I did not have my wife. In the same way, the Responsorial Psalm this week reminds us that we are called to fear the Lord, but this fear is not because He is scary. Rather, we approach Him with wonder, awe, and gratitude, and we fear what our lives would be without Him.

On this Christmas Day, we are reminded that in the shortest days and darkest nights of the year, Christ our Savior came into the world to bring everything back into proper order. In the beginning, there was only chaos, darkness, and disorder:

“the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters” (Genesis 1:2).

Out of that disorder, the Lord brought light, order, and life.

“Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:3-4).

When we recognize the handiwork of God in our lives and we have a relationship with Him, we can see the light, life, and order He has brought to our hearts. Fear of the Lord is a recognition of God’s power and majesty, and a fear of our lives being lived without it.

As you exchange gifts and celebrate with friends and family today and during this joyful season, I invite you to reflect on how your life has changed because of the Lord.

What was your life before you knew the Lord? Would you want to go back there?

How has the Lord rescued you from paths of selfishness, sin, and destruction?

What graces, joys, and blessings are in your life right now? What would your life look like without them?

No matter how distant you may feel from the Lord, His fingerprints are all over your life.

No matter how we want His power and majesty to work on our own terms, God works on His own timeline and in unexpected ways. He does not come with heavenly warriors clad in armor to defeat the Enemy, He comes as a vulnerable, innocent, unsuspecting baby.

He does not come into wealth, earthly power or status, He lives a humble, obedient life. Through His earthly powerlessness, His divine power can more clearly shine in miraculous ways.

Jesus performed the ultimate sneak attack on the Enemy. Whether you realize it or not, He is working behind the scenes in your life. We may have moments of doubt, discouragement, and desolation, but trust that He is at work, and remember all that He has already done.

Think about where your life would be without Him, and you will see glimmers of how His power and majesty have changed your life and continue to be at work.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, December 29th, 2024, The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - Cycle C: Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.

MANNA is a ministry creating blogs and podcasts to encourage and inspire others to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ and live out their Catholic faith.