Seeing Salvation in the Ordinary

December 29, 2025 Monday in the Octave of Christmas 
Daily Readings: 1 John 2:3-11; Luke 2:22-35

Children of God: When I arrived in Myanmar for the first time several years ago, I was struck by the grandeur of their temples: truly majestic structures reaching toward the sky, symbols of deep devotion! Yet, it was not the golden pagodas that touched my heart the most, but a humble Catholic orphanage. It was not part of the tour and so, I sneaked out from my seminar just to visit that orphanage. I learned that it was run by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) sisters, who first arrived in Myanmar on February 11, 1923, at the invitation of priests who saw a great need for their presence. Two years later, in 1925, they opened that small orphanage. This year, 2025, it celebrates its centennial year. For one hundred years, that simple place—not grand or glittering—has become a light of love and faith, quietly revealing God’s salvation to countless children.

In the gospel of Luke, we meet Simeon, a man who had been waiting his whole life for the fulfillment of God’s promise. Guided by the Spirit, he goes to the temple and takes the infant Jesus in his arms, saying, “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples” (Luke 2:30–31). Simeon’s joy did not come from seeing something extraordinary, but from recognizing God’s presence in the ordinary, a helpless baby held in his hands. He teaches us that faith is not about waiting for miracles in the sky, but about seeing God’s love at work in the simple and the small.

Like Simeon, the FMM sisters in Myanmar saw salvation not in riches or fame, but in caring for orphans, feeding the hungry, and loving the forgotten. Their work, like the infant Jesus, might seem hidden to the world, yet it shines brightly in the eyes of God. The presence of Christ is not confined to cathedrals or temples. It is found wherever compassion lives, wherever people choose love over indifference.

Seeing God’s salvation in our midst requires open eyes and a humble heart. Sometimes, we fail to see His presence because we expect grand signs. But God often comes quietly, in the smile of a child, in the faith of a poor family, or in the kindness of someone who chooses to forgive. The same God who revealed Himself to Simeon still reveals Himself to us every day, if only we look with faith.

Children of God: Let us pray for the grace to recognize God’s saving presence in the ordinary moments of our lives. May our eyes, like Simeon’s, be opened to see His light shining even in simple places, and may we, too, become instruments of that light to others.