According to Jewish Law every first-born male child of Jewish family belonged to the service of God. . . . To be sure, Our Lord and His Blessed Mother really were not obliged by those laws. Our Lord was God Himself as well as man, and, as such, needed no redemption from service to God. Likewise the Virgin Mother needed no ceremony of purification, for she had brought forth her Child in a miraculous manner, without pain or defilement of any kind. But both Our Lord and His Holy Mother submitted to these requirements of existing law because people would not understand why they should not,. . .(and) they would give bad example to others who would not understand their reasons, and perhaps their action would be the occasion to others of disobeying laws by which they were bound.
It is better sometimes to forego our rights and privileges than to lead others into sin. Moreover, if we ever hope to be successful in life, we must always expect and be willing to do more than we are required to do. He that aims only at the strict requirements of the law will often come short of the law; he whose standards are low will be likely often fall below those standards.
It should be our daily and frequent practice to offer ourselves and all we have to God, for His glory, in thanksgiving for His many blessings, in petition for the favors which we and others need, and in reparation for the sins which we and others commit. We should strive so to live to act each day that this, our offering, will be pleasing and acceptable in God’s sight. Very often this will not be an easy matter, due to our temperament, our health, the kind of life we have to lead, the work we have to do, ‘our companions or associates, and the like; but the greater the effort we have to make, the greater the benefit to ourselves and to those for whom we pray.
Charles J. Callan, OP and John F. McConnell, MM
Spiritual Riches of the Rosary Mysteries
