Reflection on TODAY

I’d like to share some thoughts I had reflecting upon the Good News, the Gospel of Our Lord on the word, today.

Luke tells us about Jesus’ return to Nazareth where He visited the synagogue on the Sabbath and how when He got up to read He was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. It’s interesting to note that He didn’t choose the passage to read but it was handed to Him. After reading the passage, Luke tells us that He sat down and all eyes in the synagogue looked intently at Him. Jesus said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Today is special because we hear reaffirmed by Jesus what was told to some shepherds thirty years earlier. An angel appeared to them and told them that, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

Isn’t it comforting to know that you have a Savior. This brings to mind an elderly priest I met within the past six months and how he continually preaches the same message of Jesus’ unconditional love for us. He constantly tells us that today is a new day and to take courage, to go forward no matter how deep in muck we are for Jesus is always reaching out His hand to us to get us out. The priest’s message is of hope, to start fresh and go forward today, to follow Christ and not to dwell on the past (it’s gone, it’s history, you can’t undo what you’ve done).

Think of the words that Jesus taught us, “Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11) Yes we must ask for forgiveness for yesterday’s shortcomings but we also ask Him for what we need for today and not to worry about tomorrow which is a mystery.

Jesus is always calling us to Him because He loves us. Start today fresh and do good. St. Paul tells the Hebrew, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13)

As long as you have Jesus, you have love, you have hope. Even while dying, nailed to a cross, Jesus’ forgiveness and love for us was exemplified as He told the criminal hanging next to Him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)

Strive to find your paradise on earth today. God is with you.