The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

“Presentation of Jesus at the Temple” by Andrea Celesti, c. 1710

Readings for the Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas[1][2]

Reading from the Jerusalem Bible

Commentary:

Reading 1: 1 John 2:12-17

Commentary on 1 Jn 2:12-17

St. John addresses his audience individually on sin and forgiveness using an interesting metaphor for the trinity: children, fathers, young men. The believing community he addresses is armed through faith against the evil one. He focuses in his last paragraph on avoiding the secular world. He exhorts them to separate themselves from “things” of the world, saying that they are of the world and therefore unworthy of special care, leading the faithful away from God (see also John 17:9-26 and John 15:18-27).

CCC: 1 Jn 2:16 377, 2514, 2534

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10

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

Commentary on Ps 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10

While Psalm 96 is a song of praise, the psalmist reminds us that even in praise we need to offer what we have in gratitude. The structure is familiar: first we are given the audience ("you families of nations"), then the response ("bring gifts, and enter his courts"), and finally praise as a response from God ("he governs the peoples with equity").

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Gospel: Luke 2:36-40

Commentary on Lk 2:36-40

Continuing the story surrounding the presentation of Jesus, in this passage St. Luke describes the prophetess Anna. This role, for widows to prophesy in the temple, was not uncommon. The symbolism depicting Anna has clear linkage back to Old Testament events. It begins with the number seven. Rabbinical literature recognizes seven as the number of prophetesses: Sarah and Miriam in Exodus 15:20, Deborah in  Judges 4:4, Hannah mother of Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:1, Abigail wife of David in 1 Samuel 25:32, Huldah in 2 Kings 22:14, and Esther. These women gave witness to God’s will, at least in their holiness, and spoke in his name. Anna, in this prophetic role (Phanuel translates as “face of God” and Asher as “good luck”), echoes the words of Simeon saying that this young baby (Jesus) is the redemption of Jerusalem. The city, in this instance, represents all of the elect.

The final verses provide a glimpse of Jesus’ necessary hidden life in Nazareth. He grows in faith and stature in preparation for the mission assigned to him.

CCC: Lk 2:38 711

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Reflection:

The timing of the first reading from 1 John is very good.  It is almost a week since the great secular glut of commercial Christmas and its aftermath, the post-Christmas feeding frenzy.  Just as we see the children tiring of their new toys and games and the adults thinking about returning to the routines of making their way in the world, the evangelist addresses himself to us.  He reminds us first about the meaning of the Nativity whose octave we are still in: “…your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.”  He then goes on to restate the great Christian paradox found in his own Gospel, to be part of the world but separate from it. 

The Evangelist warns us about what we just went through: “…sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,” all part of the commercial Christmas.  It is so pervasive that in the U.S., even religious people of non-Christian denominations gather and buy gifts with no attachment whatsoever to the birth of the Savior.

These are not the things of God but, as St. John says, things of the world.  The Christian must be in the world but stand apart from it.  What is truly important is not how well we did “under the tree,” but how well we did by the standards of him who loves us. The Lord came as not just a symbol of love, but love itself into the world.  Even as we think about taking extra good care of the new golf clubs or the new appliance, we should ask ourselves what we are doing to take care of what is really important in ourselves.

Today we are reminded of our Christian duty and the role we are called to play in God’s plan.  He casts us into the world like seeds so that we might transform it (not be transformed by it).  Today our voices join with the Prophetess Anna in thanking God for the gift of the Christ Child, and pledging to rededicate ourselves to the cause which brought him into the world.

Pax

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[1] S.S. Commemoratio

[2] The picture is “Presentation of Jesus at the Temple” by Andrea Celesti, c. 1710

The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

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

Proper for the Memorial of St. Thomas Becket

Biographical Information about St. Thomas Becket

“The Presentation of Christ in the Temple”

by Francesco Bassano, c. 1570’s

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.”

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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

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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

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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

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[1] The picture is “The Presentation of Christ in the Temple” by Francesco Bassano, c. 1570’s

[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

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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

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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 (wife of the patriarch Jacob) is weeping for her descendants taken into exile at the time of the Assyrian invasion (586 BC). Tradition holds her lament was so profound it was heard for miles. St. Matthew uses this story to depict Bethlehem as the new city of sorrow.[6]

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

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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

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[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

[6] The Gospel of Matthew, © 2010 Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, pp. 57