A little girl and her mother were looking at the Nativity scene. The mother was explaining that the Wise Men were presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn King. The little girl looked in great adoration at the babe in the manger, then turning to her mother, thoughtfully asked, “Why didn’t they bring Him a bed.?” (from Msgr. Arthur Tonne – Jokes Priests Can Tell)

This Sabbath Sunday I am choosing to share a post from last Christmas centered on the gifts of the magi in honor of the celebration of Epiphany. The post is entitled, Myrrh is mine, it’s bitter perfume….

Once again you are invited to join me in promoting the Sabbath by taking a break from your normal blogging.  Please share an older post from your blog that is near and dear to your heart. Make sure to leave your name and the URL of your post below and share a comment if you so desire. I look forward to reading your recycled posts!

Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. (Matthew 2:16-18)

Today the Church celebrates this feast of the Holy Innocents. The day when Herod, out of fear that a new king had been born who would threaten his throne, had every child he could find murdered. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Joseph saves Jesus by taking he and his mother Mary to Egypt.

The death of a child is a terrible thing to endure. During my time of ministry I have sat many times with the parents of a child who has died, trying to understand along with them, why their child has been taken away. There are no easy answers to give, no magic words or actions that will make the situation better. Only time and holding close to God and family seems to eventually bring acceptance and peace.

Let us pray today for those who have lost a child. May they be comforted in their sorrow.

Once again you are invited to join me in promoting the Sabbath by taking a break from your normal blogging.  Please share an older post from your blog that is near and dear to your heart. Make sure to leave your name and the URL of your post below and share a comment if you so desire. I look forward to reading your recycled posts!

On this second day of Christmas rather than talk about two turtledoves, I will instead turn to the first martyr of the Church. St. Stephen was one of the first men chosen to serve as a deacon in the Church and one who exemplified preaching the Gospel in both word and action. His good works, his preaching and is martyrdom are described for us in the early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles.

It is fitting that we celebrate the second day of Christmas by honoring the first Christian to be born by martyrdom into new life.  St. Stephen is one of the first followers of Christ to embrace the cross so as to both reveal the true nature of sin in the world, as well as the power of forgiveness and love that comes through it. He knew well that the embracing the cross comes with the power to overcome sin and death. His words at his death, mirror the ones of Christ spoken on the cross.

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:59-60)

Christmas is a time when we are called to follow the example of the first martyrs by giving witness to Christ, both by our life and our death. Christ is born! Glorify Him!

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,

the hope of the nations and their Saviour:

Come and save us, O Lord our God.

As the days and now hours until Christmas draw near our prayers seem even more urgent. Come and save us, O Lord our God! The hymn O Come O Come Emmanuel, which draws entirely upon these O Antiphons begins by saying,  ransom captive Israel. Often I believe Christians have taken this idea of God’s paying a ransom of his son in the wrong way.  Too many times we have allowed ourselves to see God and the devil on an equal playing field and wonder what kind of God would demand the death of his son as expiation for our sins.  A better explanation of the ransom idea is that God indeed sent his son to rescue us from the power of sin and death, but that once the trade has taken place there is a surprise awaiting those same powers.  Christ is infinitely more powerful than the forces of evil and they have no power to hold him.

The second part of this final O Antiphon is found once again in Isaiah,

The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin  shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Matthew goes on in his Gospel to remind us that the name Emmanuel means,  God is with us. Christmas is a time to remember that Christ is indeed with us and that we are never left to battle the forces of sin and death alone.  We have, as one of us,  a savior who has triumphed over every power that holds us captive.