Sixth Day of Christmas, December 30, 2006

Scripture: I john 2:12-17. Psalm 96:7-10.(Hebrews 1:1-2) Luke 2:36-40 Wisdom and exultation spring from our Scriptures on this sixt day of Christmas. I see it in I John through the wisdom given by the inspired writer to persons in every stage of life: children, parents, young adults.They are encouraged to follow the commandment of love that Jesus taught his disciples and to overcome the temptations of the world for power, sensuality, and greed. This lesson in wisdom is even more important for us with the overwhelming temptations we face each day in these three areas. We are constantly encouraged in I John to live by wisdom which means keeping the commandments of love entrusted to us by the Scriptures, the Sacraments, and our Communities of faith. This message made me return to Psalm 1, a wisdom psalm, which opens the entire book of psalms. It is all about choosing the right path which consists in following the commandments of God and meditating,reflecting, and pondering them over day and night. I John reduces the commandments to absolute and unconditional faith in the Person of Jesus and imitating his lessons of love. Then in our Gospel, we have a role model for these commandments in the person of Anna, the aged woman who is led by the Spirit to the Temple. There she finds the child Jesus with Mary and Joseph. Her desire in life is completed and she praises and thanks God for her own deliverance and that of her people Israel. In the Psalm response we have the theme of thanking, praising, and exulting in God. The conclusion of the Gospel summarizes Jesus early childhood by saying he grew in wisdom and lived in the grace of God.This sixth day of Christmas will be a joyful one if we return frequently to these Scriptures of wisdom, faith, exultation, thanksgiving, and love. Amen.