One Minute Reflection – 9 January – Fourth Day after Epiphany, Readings: 1 John 4:19-5:4, Psalm 72:1-2, 14-15, 17, Luke 4:14-22 and the Memorial of Blessed Alix le Clerc/Teresa of Jesus CND (1576-1622) known as Mother Alix
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed…”…Luke 4:18
REFLECTION – “Symbols of the Holy Spirit: Anointing. The symbolism of anointing with oil signifies the Holy Spirit, to the point of becoming a synonym for the Holy Spirit. In Christian initiation, anointing is the sacramental sign of Confirmation, called ‘chrismation’ in the Churches of the East. Its full force can be grasped only in relation to the primary anointing accomplished by the Holy Spirit, that of Jesus. Christ (in Hebrew ‘messiah’) means the one ‘anointed’ by God’s Spirit.
There were several anointed ones of the Lord in the Old Covenant, pre-eminently King David. But Jesus is God’s Anointed in a unique way – the humanity the Son assumed, was entirely anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit established Him as ‘Christ’. The Virgin Mary conceived Christ by the Holy Spirit who, through the angel, proclaimed Him the Christ at His birth and prompted Simeon to come to the Temple to see Christ the Lord. The Spirit filled Christ and the power of the Spirit went out from Him in His acts of healing and saving.
Finally, it was the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Now fully established as ‘Christ’ in His humanity victorious over death, Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit abundantly until the ‘saints’ constitute, in their union with the humanity of the Son of God, the perfect man “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” – “the whole Christ”, in St Augustine’s expression.” … CCC #695
PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, through Christ, Your Son, You made of us a new creation. Shape us then, in His likeness, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, since in Him, our human nature now lives with You. Lord God, let Blessed Alix le Clerc ever commend us to Your love and care. May her charity and wisdom inspire us to treasure Your teaching and express it in our lives. Through our Lord Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
AnaStpaul 