This year, there is a Second Sunday after Christmas, a Sunday that does not occur every year and lacks a notable liturgical identity. Many service books, including some Books of Common Prayer, do not provide propers for the day, but the 1928 BCP does contain a collect and lessons. The Gospel from Matthew 2:19-23 refers to the sojourn of the Holy Family in Egypt and their return to the Holy Land, to Nazareth.
It has been observed that here we see the Holy Family, and the Christ Child in particular, reliving the history of Israel. In re-reading this account, I was struck by the association of the names of the Holy Family with the Exodus. Saint Joseph bears the name of the patriarch who provided for the survival of Israel. The Virgin Mary's name is derived from the name of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess. And of course, the name Jesus is a version of Joshua, the assistant and successor of Moses. His name means "the Lord saves."
So, the journey of the Holy Family and their names allude to a great new divine act of redemption. Christ's Birth, early life, ministry, death, and resurrection are parts of the same story. The Lord God saved and freed His people in Egypt, during the Exodus, and in their return to the Promised Land. Through Jesus, who is the Christ, God is doing something that is both similar and much greater. The Incarnation is rooted in Israel's past, but it transcends that past. Jesus is the one who embodies eternal salvation. The true joy of Christmas is based on God's redemptive work in Jesus!
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