Click here to read the daily readings from the USCCB website.

The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary are my favorites: The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Nativity, The Presentation of the Lord, which we celebrate today and the finding of Jesus in the temple.

From our perspective 2000 years later, all of these events are joy filled stories from the Gospels and part of our Salvation History. But as we reflect on today’s Gospel, there are some details that may not have seemed very joyful at the time. Through the Holy Spirit, Simeon tells Joseph and Mary that their baby Jesus “is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted. To Mary Simeon says: “and you yourself a sword will pierce-so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

These words were certainly prophetic and must have been a little scary for those who heard them.

Have there been events like that in our own past? Are there milestones that bring back joyful memories but may have been stressful and terrifying “in the moment”? The birth of a baby or finding a lost child are certainly other examples we can relate to.

Finding our faith ”in the moment” is a challenge for all of us. When we go through a stressful situation, we can take comfort in the words St. Paul wrote about Jesus in our 2nd reading: “Because He was tested through what He suffered, He is able to help those who are being tested.

As we reflect on the joyful milestones in our lives that tested us, let us ask God for the wisdom we need to better appreciate the help He provides.