The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

(Optional Memorial for Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop, Martyr)

 

Proper for the Memorial of St. Thomas Becket

“Presentation of Jesus in the Temple” 
by Vittore Carpaccio, 1510

 

Readings for the Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas[1]

 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[2]

 

Commentary:

 

Reading 1: 1 John 2:3-11

 

Commentary on 1 Jn 2:3-11

 

This selection provides two consistent teachings of St. John. First is the injunction to keep Jesus' commandments. He uses the same formula we have heard before in this letter. If you say you belong to Christ but do not follow his commandments, you are a liar.

 

The second teaching is his favorite, perhaps because it is part of the great commandment and fundamental to everything taught by the Lord: “Love one another.” Here St. John again uses the darkness and light theme to demonstrate that the one who walks with Christ is in the light and the one who does not walks in darkness and is lost: “…he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6

 

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

 

Commentary on Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6

 

Psalm 96 is a song of praise acknowledging God as King of all the earth. It has roots in 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 as part of a chant of thanksgiving during the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to the temple in Jerusalem, but most importantly it celebrates God’s omnipotence and enduring salvation.

 

CCC: Ps 96:2 2143

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: Luke 2:22-35

 

Commentary on Lk 2:22-35

 

St. Luke’s account of Jesus being presented at the Temple provides a unique insight into the Holy Family. They are faithful observers of the Law of Moses.

 

At the time Jesus is presented at the temple as required by strict Jewish Law, we find Simeon, probably an old man in the last years of his life (“…looking forward to the restoration of God's rule in Israel”). Simeon does two important things here: he affirms the nativity story with his profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the one who came for all, so that all might be renewed in Christ and in God the Father, (“…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 second of Simeon’s actions is to predict to Mary the difficulty her Son will encounter in his ministry (“…to be a sign that will be contradicted”), and the pain it will cause Mary herself: “and you yourself a sword will pierce.”

 

CCC: Lk 2:22-39 529, 583; Lk 2:25 711; Lk 2:26-27 695; Lk 2:32 713; Lk 2:34 575, 587; Lk 2:35 149, 618

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection:

 

Sacred scripture paints another aspect of the picture surrounding the events of the Nativity of the Lord with the story of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.  The Church celebrates a separate feast to honor this occasion later in the year (February 2^nd).  As we consider what takes place in this setting, the Presentation takes its place with other things going on in the life of the Holy Family.  We know that they must flee to Egypt and that Herod committed infanticide to stop the infant Jesus from fulfilling his task.  We are not precisely sure of the exact timing (according to Hebrew Law, this event should have occurred forty days following Jesus’ birth), but like all things in the remarkable life of Jesus, this one too has a purpose.

 

The event itself shows that Mary and Joseph are scrupulous in following Hebrew regulations.  This is important because the Jews at the time, who would have been the first Christians, must have been taught that accepting Christ was not something that went against their faith, but was a completion of it.  The Holy Family did not flout Jewish Law and tradition as some of the contemporary religious leaders were trying to say; they were faithful to a fault.

 

In the temple they encounter another important person in Simeon.  Simeon, we are told, was a holy man whom God had already blessed with a long and faithful life.  His final desire, the prayer request he had made of God, was that he be allowed to see the Hebrew Prophecy of the coming Messiah fulfilled. Through the eyes of faith, his prayer was answered and he called out (in the words of our Night Prayer Canticle):

 

“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.”

 

Mary and Joseph must have been surprised by this, in spite of their previous angelic counseling and the events of the Lord’s birth.  (This event necessarily followed the arrival of the Magi and their return from Bethlehem so they would accept this kind of reaction from individuals who were filled with God’s spirit.)  It may not even have surprised them that they were singled out among all the other parents bringing in children for this kind of attention, even though there were almost certainly many others following the same prescription of the law.

 

For us, now hearing this story once more, these amazing circumstances do not cause us to be surprised or awe stricken as those first Jewish converts must have been.  What it should do, however, is remind us that this event represents another step in our continuous encounter with God the Most High Father, an encounter that has been taking place since the beginning of human existence.  Today, still basking in the glow of the festival lights of Christmas, we are reminded that this event is a beginning, and that what must now unfold is to fulfill the Father’s plan.  We remember also that that great plan continues and that we are a part of it.

 

Pax

---

[1] The picture is “Presentation of Jesus in the Temple” by Vittore Carpaccio, 1510

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

 

Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs

 

“The Massacre of the Innocents” by Daniele da Volterra, 1557

Additional Information about the Holy Innocents, Martyrs

 

Readings for the Feast of the Holy Innocents[1]

 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[2]

 

Commentary:

 

Reading 1: 1 John 1:5—2:2

 

Commentary on 1 Jn 1:5—2:2

 

We are given, in this selection, a foundational scripture passage upon which the Sacrament of Reconciliation rests. The logic St. John uses flows nicely: Jesus, the Christ, is light. When we sin we walk in darkness. When we admit our sin, the Lord who is “expiation for our sins,” brings us back into the light. If we try to deceive ourselves, saying we are not sinful, we fall, and in a sense make Jesus’ sacrifice meaningless.

 

“Light is to be understood here as truth and goodness; darkness here is error and depravity (cf John 3:19-21; 17:17; Ephesians 5:8). To walk in light or darkness is to live according to truth or error, not merely intellectual but moral as well. Fellowship with God and with one another consists in a life according to the truth as found in God and in Christ.” Then for v. 8-10: “Denial of the condition of sin is self-deception and even contradictory of divine revelation; there is also the continual possibility of sin's recurrence. Forgiveness and deliverance from sin through Christ are assured through acknowledgment of them and repentance.”[4] The final verses of this selection profess the Trinity as One God: “…we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.”

 

CCC: 1 Jn 1:5 214; 1 Jn 1:6 2470; 1 Jn 1:7-2:2 2631; 1 Jn 1:8-10 827; 1 Jn 1:8-9 1847; 1 Jn 1:8 1425; 1 Jn 1:10 2147;1 Jn 2:1-2 1460; 1 Jn 2:1 519, 692, 2634; 1 Jn 2:2 605, 606

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

 

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

 

Commentary on Ps 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

 

The psalm is one of thanksgiving to the Lord for his gift of salvation: salvation from physical enemies and salvation from nature’s fury. The song thanks God who rescues us if we but reach out to him.

 

CCC: Ps 124:8 287

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-18

 

Commentary on Matthew 2:13-18

 

St. Matthew provides the story of the slaughter of the innocent children of Bethlehem. We are told how Herod, in his frustration at being deceived by the magi, sends troops to kill all the male children under the age of two. We are also reminded that this event, and the warning received by Joseph to take the infant Jesus to Egypt, were both predicted in scripture.

 

In this ironic twist, the saga of Moses is replayed in an inverse way. A slaughter of innocents preceded his advent, and the trek to Egypt by the Holy Family recalls the exodus event now relived by the Savior. “The fulfillment citation is taken from Hosea 11:1. Israel, God's son, was called out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus; Jesus, the Son of God, will similarly be called out of that land in a new exodus. The father-son relationship between God and the nation is set in a higher key. Here the son is not a group adopted as 'son of God,' but the child who, as conceived by the Holy Spirit, stands in unique relation to God. He is son of David and of Abraham, of Mary and of Joseph, but, above all, of God.”[5] The passage concludes with a quote of Jeremiah 31:15 in which Rachel is weeping for children taken into exile at the time of the Assyrian invasion (722 BC). Tradition holds her lament was so profound it was heard for miles.

 

CCC: Mt 2:13-18 530; Mt 2:13 333; Mt 2:15 530

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection:

 

In this feast day we remember the innocent lives of the first martyrs for Christ.  St. Matthew describes how Herod, in great fear of losing his kingship, commits the sin of Pharaoh, murdering innocent babes. In doing so, he turned his back on the one who could assure him a kingship eternal and in peace.

 

The current world-wide assault on the sanctity of life brings this story into sharp focus.  There is a great danger facing mankind and secular leadership already stands at the precipice of a very slippery slope (some say they are already hurtling toward the pit).  When this Gospel story of infanticide is told we immediately think of the struggle between the opponents of life and those who find life sacred.  This debate is not just about abortion. It has truly reached into our homes and touches each one of us.  If we take the position that an embryo is not a human life until the fetus draws breath and is born, all manner of moral issues are brought into contention – not just the most recent decision to allow human embryos to be destroyed in the name of stem cell research, but the entire idea that human life has value at all is placed in question.

 

In the United States: in the state of Oregon we already see the path this lack of respect for human life can take.  Not only does Oregon allow doctor assisted suicide, but its state sponsored medical coverage has placed a dollar value on a person’s life.  Using a formula that must have been inspired by Herod himself, a person’s quality of life is evaluated before certain types of life-saving medical procedures will be authorized.  If, under the formula, an expensive procedure like hip replacement is requested by a person who may only have a few years left in their expected life, it will be rejected.  The state considers the expenditure wasted because that person may only be made marginally more comfortable for an anticipated short period of time.

 

It is not a large leap from the destruction of embryos and the devaluing of human life to government-sponsored pregnancy in which the embryos are harvested for research (while the government did not sponsor the pregnancy per se, Planned Parenthood seems to have assumed the role of “parts broker” in this scenario). Or to allow children who are lobotomized in the womb or manipulated outside the womb in a lab to be born without any possibility of intellect, so their organs may be harvested – same principle as the destruction of embryos for stem cell research, just taken to the next step.  They would, after all, not really be people.

 

Today also, we join with our Holy Father, Pope Francis, in praying for those innocents dying daily in the Northern Africa and the Middle-East, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt where Muslims are waging a war on all Christians.

 

When we think about Herod’s heinous act we should ask those infant martyrs to pray for us that we might continue the fight for the sanctity of life in all its phases.  With God all things are possible, perhaps with enough of our prayers some of those who care only for themselves may be brought to the light of understanding.

 

Pax

---

[1] The picture is “The Massacre of the Innocents” by Daniele da Volterra, 1557

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

 

[4] See NAB footnote on 1 John 1:1-5

[5] See NAB footnote on Matthew 2:15

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

 

“St John the Evangelist” 
by Alonso Cano, 1636

 

Biographical Information about St. John the Apostle[1]

 

Readings for the Feast of St. John the Apostle

 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[2]

 

Commentary:

 

Reading 1: 1 John 1:1-4

 

Commentary on 1 Jn 1:1-4

 

The introduction of the First Letter of John describes the author as not only a believer in Jesus but also an eyewitness and contemporary of the Lord. He describes the unifying force of faith in the Father, and his joy in passing on the great news of the Savior.

 

This testimony about Christ is designed to lead to fellowship and complete joy. Fellowship with the Apostles (the Greek word is "koinonia") means, firstly, having the same faith as those who lived with Jesus: "They saw our Lord in the body," St Augustine reminds us, "and they heard words from his lips and have proclaimed them to us; we also have heard them, but we have not seen him [...]. They saw him, we do not see him, and yet we have fellowship with them, because we have the same faith" ("In Epist. Ioann. ad Parthos", 1, 3).[4]

 

CCC:  1 Jn 1:1-4 425; 1 Jn 1:3-7 1108; 1 Jn 1:3 2781

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

 

R. (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

 

Commentary on Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

 

This hymn rejoices in the supremacy of God the Father. The apocalyptic imagery demonstrates God’s authority over all his creation. Natural disasters of all sorts (earthquakes, storms, and even famines) were seen as punishments from God, as were misfortunes of all sorts, both collective and individual.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: John 20:1a and 2-8

 

Commentary on Jn 20:1a and 2-8

 

The Gospel story of the discovery of the empty tomb is described by St. John (the disciple whom Jesus loved). “From these details concerning the empty tomb one deduces that Jesus' body must have risen in a heavenly manner, that is, in a way which transcended the laws of nature. It was not only a matter of the body being reanimated as happened, for example, in the case of Lazarus, who had to be unbound before he could walk (cf. John 11:44)”[5]  It is interesting that St. John arrives first but recognizes St. Peter’s primacy, waiting for him to enter the tomb first. Note also that when St. John entered the tomb, he immediately understood what happened and “believed.”

 

CCC: Jn 20:1 2174; Jn 20:2 640; Jn 20:5-7 640; Jn 20:6 640; Jn 20:7 515; Jn 20:8 640

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homily:

 

“We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.”

 

It is appropriate that we, as Church, remember St. John the Apostle on this day. He was the youngest of the twelve. He was the author of not only the Gospel of Faith, but also two epistles and the book of Revelation. His faith community tackled the earliest, and in many ways, the hardest questions about the life and mission of Christ, and set down what their faith revealed for our posterity.

 

In the reading from his first letter, the Evangelist tells us: “We are writing this so that our joy may be complete. “ What do we think was the “joy” of Saint John that is made complete in the writing of his experience and understanding of the Lord? In our Christmas season, we are still feeling the afterglow of the warmth and love we experience in the Lord’s Nativity. We understand anew the gift God has given us in his Son, and we rejoice in the life that flows from that gift.

 

We hear what John says, and suddenly it all makes sense. He was there. He was with the Lord as he walked and talked; as he preached and healed. He experienced the profound amazement of the man and God, and the profound sadness of the Passion. He was there at the empty tomb where the source of his happiness had been laid. He saw and believed in that empty tomb and his joy soared.

 

What we receive from John in the short sentence above is like what we might feel when we get the very best news we can hope for, news that changes our lives, like the birth of our child, like the vows at a wedding, or a promotion at work. When we get the very best news, isn’t sharing it the first thing we want to do? Does not having others rejoice with us heighten our own joy? Does it not make our joy complete?

 

This is perhaps one of John’s most important contributions – his joy in the Savior. Let us share that joy, especially this Christmas season. The Savior has come!

 

Pax

---

[1] The picture used today is “St John the Evangelist” by Alonso Cano, 1636

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

 

[4] The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries, Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States, © 2002 (1 John 1:3-4)

[5] Ibid (John 20:5-7)