St. John, Apostle and Evangelist- 27 December

In the early centuries of the Church, the days after Christmas became associated with various important figures and events. By at least the sixth century in France and Italy, December 27 commemorated St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, and the collect for today has been handed down with only slight changes since that time. It reads:

Merciful Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Commemorating John near Christmas is appropriate because his Gospel proclaims the mystery of the Incarnation, the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Jesus Christ is the light that shines in a dark world and is not overcome by the darkness!

Christmas 2022- Hebrews 1:1-3

The anticipated day has finally arrived! It is Christmas, and we Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Incarnation of the eternal Word of God. Of course, there are many aspects to the celebration of this great festival, and we can easily be distracted from what is most important. So we constantly and prayerfully turn to divine revelation in Holy Scripture. In particular, today's reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews points us toward the meaning of the Christian celebration.

Hebrews 1:1-3 says, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." 

These words indicate the importance of the Incarnation and summarize the basic message of the Christian Gospel. The old divine message delivered through the prophets has reached its climax and fulfillment in Jesus Christ, God's only Son. The Son has been with the Father from the beginning and has always been involved in divine work, but in Jesus, the Son, the Word, has come among us in a great new way. He reveals God the Father more clearly, He takes away our sins, and He returns to reign with the Father in heaven.  Christmas is about an unusual birth, but it is also about much more. It is a proclamation of the eternal and saving Gospel of Jesus Christ! May this Good News dwell in our hearts always! A merry and blessed Christmas to all!

Advent IV- John 1:19-28; Philippians 4:4-5

The Fourth Sunday in Advent brings a heightened sense of anticipation as we enter the final week of preparations for the celebration of Christ's Birth. In Philippians 4:4-5, St. Paul exhorts believers to rejoice and live virtuous lives because "The Lord is at hand." Our Lord Jesus Christ is always near in several ways, but we have a special awareness of His coming when we celebrate His Incarnation.

The Gospel from John 1:19-28 focuses on John the Baptist's preparatory work for the Messiah or Christ. The prophet John in the wilderness is the forerunner who prepares the way by calling people to repentance, cleansing, and hope in the anticipated redeemer. Besides calling the people of first-century Palestine, John the Baptist still calls us to prepare for Christ to come anew into our lives.

In our time, people often seem to find it difficult to prepare for Christmas in a spiritual way. There are so many distractions from everyday life and from secular holiday madness. At times, even Advent devotions or plans for reading Scripture may become just another December task. However, we do need to pause. reflect, and be more open to Christ to come into our lives again and again. So whatever else we are doing, let us find some moments throughout the day to ask Jesus to have mercy and come among us!

Advent III- Matthew 11:2-15

The Gospel for the Third Sunday in Advent is from Matthew 11:2-15 (by the way, this year, the three-year lectionary has the same selection as the traditional lectionary). This passage shows John the Baptist in prison   He sends two of his followers to Jesus, and they ask if Jesus is the expected Messiah. We are not told why John asks. Perhaps he needs personal reassurance, and he probably also wants his disciples to encounter Jesus. 

In any case, Jesus replies with a two-fold proclamation. First, He points to the redemptive acts taking place in His own ministry, works that fulfill the Messianic prophecies. Secondly, He points to the purpose and value of the prophetic work of John the Baptist as the forerunner. Then, our Lord concludes with an exhortation to His hearers. Those who have ears should hear;  that is, they should be sensitive and perceptive about events. They should realize what God is doing in the ministry of John the Baptist and in the mystery of Jesus the Christ. May we also be sensitive and perceptive regarding God's redemptive work!