House Chaplain to be a Woman for the First Time

Nancy Pelosi has appointed a woman to be the Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives, making her the first woman to serve in this role.

I was curious about this whole thing so I looked up more information. The last two chaplains have been Catholic priests. Prior to these there had never been a Catholic in this position, the role instead being filled by various types of Protestants, mostly Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist. 52 men have held this position and 0 women.

Since this position has been predominated by Protestants, I guess there is nothing stopping them from naming a woman since many of these denominations have accepted female clergy in their ranks for some time now. Obviously if this was an exclusively Catholic chaplain, it would have to be a man, as only Catholic men can truly be chaplains.

I'm sure she had no other choice really. In this age of political correctness, to appoint a male, especially a white man to this position would be criticized and politicians like her don't want to rock that boat. I know nothing of Margaret Kibben as such so I cannot comment on her qualifications only to say in a Catholic context that only men should be given such roles.

Anyway, just saw that and wanted to point out a few things.

You can get more information from the Wikipedia article here.

Feast Days of Brothers St. Gregory Nazianzus and St. Basil the Great

Happy New Year and Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God! January 1 2021

 

Argentinians Celebrate Ability to Kill Children

Can anyone explain this? There is an explanation, but it's the worst possible one. Argentina just passed a law which legalizes abortion and many people in the streets of Argentina were out celebrating. Not acknowledging a political victory. No, they were outright elated, thrilled, over-the-moon excited. It's sick and grotesque. It's so absurd, that even Not The Bee (a website showcasing real news which seems like it came from the satirical website The Babylon Bee) wrote about it.

We are constantly told that "no one likes abortion" and pro-choicers always like to talk about the fact that abortion is a last resort only used because of various hardships. "It's for the best". Basically, it's seen as a necessary evil. Or so we're told.

So how can anyone explain throngs of people jubilantly celebrating this decision? Who is this excited over the legalization of a necessary evil employed in "hard cases"? Nobody is, which shows that the people pushing for abortion are not being honest.

Abortion advocates do not see abortion as a last resort or something to be avoided. They do not think there must be a difficult situation to justify its use, nor do they see it as a necessary evil. They, in fact, see abortion as a positive good, something to be celebrated on its own. The more abortion, the better. The implications of this are hard to even comprehend.

Something else I realized was that sometimes pro-choicers say the unborn child isn't a baby, it's a clump of cells. Yet again this would not justify this reaction. Would masses of people burst into joy if the government announced that people could now have a mole or a wart removed? Would it cause this kind of emotional reaction? Hardly. At most, it would be a side note on page 14 of the newspaper.

No, they are celebrating because the ability to kill the child within ones womb is of utmost importance in the dominance of extreme feminism. Anyone who stands in the way of these women, even innocent children, are to be destroyed. That is what is at the heart of this.

It's disturbing, scary, and completely immoral. So sad to see.

Readings for Catholic Mass for Wednesday, December 30, 2020

The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Lectionary: 203

Reading 1

1 JN 2:12-17

I am writing to you, children,

because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.

I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.I am writing to you, young men,

because you have conquered the Evil One.

I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,

and you have conquered the Evil One.

Do not love the world or the things of the world. 

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

For all that is in the world,

sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,

is not from the Father but is from the world. 

Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. 

But whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 96:7-8A, 8B-9, 10

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,

give to the LORD glory and praise;

give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Bring gifts, and enter his courts;

worship the LORD in holy attire.

Tremble before him, all the earth.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.

He has made the world firm, not to be moved;

he governs the peoples with equity. 

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

 

Alleluia  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A holy day has dawned upon us.

Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.

Today a great light has come upon the earth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna,

the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. 

She was advanced in years,

having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,

and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. 

She never left the temple,

but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. 

And coming forward at that very time,

she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child

to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions

of the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee,

to their own town of Nazareth. 

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;

and the favor of God was upon him.

Pope Francis among most admired men to Americans

 

Pope Francis is one of the top ten most admired men to Americans in 2020. Apparently he has been on the list since 2013. Some of the company seems rather contradictory. Not sure what to make of this, but at the very least it means people do not completely hate the Catholic Church, it would seem.

The list can be found here: https://news.gallup.com/poll/328193/donald-trump-michelle-obama-admired-2020.aspx

Apparently Pope John Paul II has been on the list quite a bit also: 29 times since it started in 1946. I mean obviously he would only appear there after he became pope. Higher than him however is Billy Graham who appeared there 61 times. This may have to do with the fact that Billy Graham was a public figure for almost 60 years, whereas the papacy of John Paul II lasted 26 years. So it seems about proportional.

New York and Connecticut win big victory for religious liberty

This isn't something you will see anytime soon in Canada. New York and Connecticut have won the right to remove caps on the number of congregants in churches in the state. I'm not a legal scholar, but the Supreme Court Second Circuit has said that the government cannot arbitrarily restrict the number of congregants by a tiny percentage of small number of people while allowing all sorts of other businesses to remain open. This amounts to discriminatory practices.

The article from which I got this information can be found here.

Feast Day of the Martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket

Today, December 29, is the feast day of St. Thomas Becket who was killed by knights of King Henry II after the king uttered his famous words "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" There are other translations as well.

To summarize, very basically, the king wanted to remove some of the privileges enjoyed by the Church in England. St. Thomas objected to these changes. Although Thomas and the king had been friends for some time, and the king assumed Thomas would support his ambitions, Thomas remained steadfast in supporting the Catholic Church.

After St. Thomas was killed in the cathedral of Canterbury, the king expressed remorse and did public penance. He confessed publicly and then monks and others whipped him.

I found a really good summation of the whole thing here: https://epicpew.com/st-thomas-becket/

Unfortunately the Canterbury Cathedral is no longer under Catholic control. Also, part of the public contrition of King Henry II was to build a shrine to St. Thomas a Becket. In his insane lust for power, Henry VIII, several hundred years later, destroyed the shrine and then put the deceased Becket on trial. What an absolute mockery and sacrilege to such a great man of God.

What's the Rush? Why do People Stop Celebrating Christmas Early?

As usual, the secular world gets it wrong. The world starts celebrating Christmas in November and then stops on December 26. Not only that, the people celebrate something they call "Christmas" but has nothing really to do with Christmas. Let's talk about it.

The Christmas season begins on Christmas Day in the liturgical calendar. Before this, there is Advent, which is a time of preparation for the coming of Christmas. Advent started on Sunday, November 29, 2020 this year and ended on Christmas Eve. But people are impatient. As usual, they want Christ without the Cross. They want the goodies without the purification and preparation beforehand. They want to eat their dessert first.

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of what Christmas is about. The Church has always taught as is spoken in the Old Testament, that there is a time for everything in life. There are good times and bad times, easy times and hard times. Times of joy and times of penance. Without these natural rhythms in life, we are missing something and we can easily become attached to created things without giving due regard to our Creator.

I think we intuitively know this but we choose to ignore it. If you were preparing for a big feast at 5:00pm, would it make sense to have a huge meal at 2:30pm? Of course not, it would ruin the experience of the later meal. Many people love to get up early in the morning, but only if they went to bed on time the prior evening. People want to get in shape, but one must sacrifice some things in order to get there. It's great and joyful to be in good health, but people are not willing to undergo the struggle to get there.

So it is in a spiritual sense. People are unwilling to make any sacrifices or wait. Ironically these sacrifices do not make things worse but much better. If people used Advent for a purification of themselves and their souls, Christmas would be much more fruitful in many ways, especially spiritually. I think that's part of the reason why people abandon Christmas almost as soon as it starts. Nothing is much different. Once the big day comes and goes, they are done observing and are moving on to the next thing. They get neither the purification nor the true joy.

On top of all this, what people call "Christmas" really isn't Christmas at all. People will often say we should remember the "true" meaning of Christmas by which they mean spending time with family and friends. Although this is a joyful aspect of the season, it is not the reason behind it. I suppose at least it's better than thinking Christmas is all about getting gifts.

Christmas is the celebration that God came to earth as a little baby, a child born in a poor situation, but fully God, to bring us salvation. This is such a great miracle, and that is what Christmas is all about.

My plea is that people not stop celebrating Christmas early. It goes until January 10, which is the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. Keep Christ in Christmas, and keep Mass in Christmas (Christ's Mass) and finally keep Christmas in Christmas.

Readings in the Catholic Church for Mass December 29, 2020

The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Lectionary: 202

Reading 1

1 JN 2:3-11

Beloved:

The way we may be sure that we know Jesus 

is to keep his commandments. 

Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments

is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoever keeps his word,

the love of God is truly perfected in him. 

This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:

whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you

but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. 

The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 

And yet I do write a new commandment to you,

which holds true in him and among you,

for the darkness is passing away,

and the true light is already shining. 

Whoever says he is in the light,

yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. 

Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,

and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. 

Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;

he walks in darkness

and does not know where he is going

because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 96:1-2A, 2B-3, 5B-6

R. (11a)  Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name. 

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Announce his salvation, day after day.

Tell his glory among the nations;

among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

The LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty go before him;

praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

 

 

Alleluia

LK 2:32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A light of revelation to the Gentiles

and glory for your people Israel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification

according to the law of Moses,

the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord,

just as it is written in the law of the Lord,

Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,

and to offer the sacrifice of

a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,

in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. 

This man was righteous and devout,

awaiting the consolation of Israel,

and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit

that he should not see death

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 

He came in the Spirit into the temple;

and when the parents brought in the child Jesus

to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,

he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation

which you prepared in the sight of every people,

a light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;

and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,

“Behold, this child is destined

for the fall and rise of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will be contradicted

(and you yourself a sword will pierce)

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  

Today's Mass Readings in the Catholic Church December 28 2020

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

Lectionary: 698

Reading 1

1 JN 1:5—2:2

Beloved:

This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ

and proclaim to you:

God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.

If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” 

while we continue to walk in darkness,

we lie and do not act in truth.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,

then we have fellowship with one another,

and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

If we say, “We are without sin,”

we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just 

and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.

If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, 

and his word is not in us.

My children, I am writing this to you

so that you may not commit sin.

But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, 

Jesus Christ the righteous one.

He is expiation for our sins,

and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 124:2-3, 4-5, 7CD-8

R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Had not the LORD been with us—

When men rose up against us,

then would they have swallowed us alive,

When their fury was inflamed against us.

R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;

The torrent would have swept over us;

over us then would have swept the raging waters.

R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Broken was the snare,

and we were freed.

Our help is in the name of the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

 

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We praise you, O God,

we acclaim you as Lord;

the white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

MT 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,

“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,

and stay there until I tell you.

Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”

Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night

and departed for Egypt.

He stayed there until the death of Herod,

that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,

Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,

he became furious.

He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity

two years old and under,

in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.

Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,

sobbing and loud lamentation;

Rachel weeping for her children,

and she would not be consoled,

since they were no more.

December 28: Feast of the Holy Innocents in the Catholic Church

Today is the feast day of the Holy Innocents, the boys under the age of 2 killed by King Herod in his attempt to murder the Messiah as a young child. It is recounted in the Book of Matthew. Here is the verse (Matthew Chapter 2: 16-18):

The Massacre of the Infants.

16

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.

17

Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

18

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

sobbing and loud lamentation;

Rachel weeping for her children,

and she would not be consoled,

since they were no more.”

There is debate as to the exact number of children killed during this massacre. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the estimate ranges from a handful of children killed to several thousand. The important part is that the king was desperate to kill a child who could threaten his reign. This is important because many Jews expected the Messiah to be a great military leader who would vanquish the enemies of the Jews.

It is believed that the relics of the bodies of some of the Innocents are located in the major basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

These children are considered martyrs in deed but not in will, as obviously a child under the age of 2 cannot consent in any way to martyrdom.

Martyrdom this week in the Catholic Church

 

Living Life Through the Lens of Scripture (and Podcast Announcement!)

This is the program I will be partaking in starting in January. I think it can be very valuable. Fr. Mike Schmitz goes a great job of summarizing the need for such a program.

To my loyal readers: that includes you!

I just wanted to do a quick shout-out. I haven't written an article in the last couple of days. But never fear, I will be continuing with the articles shortly. As you know, this is the Christmas season and things can get busy with family gatherings and other things during this time of rest. Thanks for your support of this blog. If you would like a particular topic to be addressed, please feel free to leave a comment! Have a great day!

“The Gospel notes that ‘there was no place for them at the inn’ (Luke 2:7). This statement. Recalling the text in John’s Prologue: ‘His own people received him not’ (John 1:11), foretells as it were the many refusals Jesus will meet during his earthly life. The phrase ‘for them’ joins the Son and the Mother in this rejections and shows how Mary is already associated with her Son’s destiny of suffering and shares his redeeming mission.”

 

Readings for the Feast of the Holy Family in the Catholic Church - December 27 2020

Readings for the Feast Day of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Lectionary: 17

Reading 1

SIR 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;

a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.

Whoever honors his father atones for sins,

and preserves himself from them.

When he prays, he is heard;

he stores up riches who reveres his mother.

Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,

and, when he prays, is heard.

Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;

he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;

grieve him not as long as he lives.

Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;

revile him not all the days of his life;

kindness to a father will not be forgotten,

firmly planted against the debt of your sins

—a house raised in justice to you.

or 

Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying:

“Fear not, Abram!

I am your shield;

I will make your reward very great.”

But Abram said,

“O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,

if I keep on being childless

and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”

Abram continued,

“See, you have given me no offspring,

and so one of my servants will be my heir.”

Then the word of the LORD came to him:

“No, that one shall not be your heir;

your own issue shall be your heir.”

The Lord took Abram outside and said,

“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.

Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”

Abram put his faith in the LORD,

who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.

The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would;

he did for her as he had promised.

Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age,

at the set time that God had stated.

Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his

whom Sarah bore him.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,

who walks in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

your children like olive plants

around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

or

Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (7a , 8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;

make known among the nations his deeds.

Sing to him, sing his praise,

proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Glory in his holy name;

rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!

Look to the LORD in his strength;

constantly seek his face.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,

sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

He, the LORD, is our God;

throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

He remembers forever his covenant

which he made binding for a thousand generations

which he entered into with Abraham

and by his oath to Isaac.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

 

Reading 2

COL 3:12-21 

Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 

if one has a grievance against another; 

as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love, 

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, 

the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 

as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 

singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, 

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, 

as is proper in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, 

and avoid any bitterness toward them.

Children, obey your parents in everything, 

for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, 

so they may not become discouraged.

Or

Col 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 

if one has a grievance against another; 

as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love, 

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, 

the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 

as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 

singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, 

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Or

Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19

Brothers and sisters:

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place

that he was to receive as an inheritance;

he went out, not knowing where he was to go.

By faith he received power to generate,

even though he was past the normal age

--and Sarah herself was sterile--

for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.

So it was that there came forth from one man,

himself as good as dead,

descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky

and as countless as the sands on the seashore.

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, 

and he who had received the promises was ready to offer

his only son,

of whom it was said,

“Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”

He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,

and he received Isaac back as a symbol.

Alleluia 

COL 3:15A, 16A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;

let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or

Heb 1:1-2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;

in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 2:22-40

When the days were completed for their purification 

according to the law of Moses, 

They took him up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord,

just as it is written in the law of the Lord, 

Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, 

and to offer the sacrifice of

a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, 

in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

This man was righteous and devout,

awaiting the consolation of Israel, 

and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit 

that he should not see death 

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

He came in the Spirit into the temple; 

and when the parents brought in the child Jesus 

to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, 

He took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go

in peace, according to your word,

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 

and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 

“Behold, this child is destined 

for the fall and rise of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will be contradicted 

—and you yourself a sword will pierce— 

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

There was also a prophetess, Anna, 

the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She was advanced in years, 

having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, 

and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.

She never left the temple, 

but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.

And coming forward at that very time, 

she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child 

to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. 

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions

of the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee,

to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; 

and the favor of God was upon him.

Or

Lk 2:22, 39-40

When the days were completed for their purification 

according to the law of Moses, 

they took him up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord. 

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions

of the law of the Lord, 

they returned to Galilee,

to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; 

and the favor of God was upon him.

A meme about bringing young people back to Mass