Reading: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:

He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Take today's reading and go through it with the process of "Lectio Divina."  That is basically an ancient Christian method of meditation on the scriptures.  For a quick run-down on how to do that, read this. 

Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

Today's reading is such a familiar story, which we have all known since childhood.  But read it over with a newfound appreciation, because it is such a moving, exciting part of the story of salvation.  These men who were not even Jews travelled across the deserts of what is now Iraq and Jordan, tracking down this great king they wanted to honor.  Walk with them, imagining every step of their journey, through meeting Herod to finally finding who they were looking for in a dirty little cave, to making the brave decision to leave Israel stealthfully to protect Jesus' whereabouts.  Imagine everything in as minute of detail as possible, and soak in how the Messiah was already working in the lives of these Gentiles!

Lord, you exist without care for your own security, but are full of concern for us. -Augustine

Our Father...

Reading: John 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Imagine yourself at the muddy banks of the Jordan.  The sun is glaring, but you are standing in a grove of willows along the bank.  You see John the Baptist in the water, waist deep, shouting to a crowd of people along the shore, ignoring the tiny fish that peck at his toes.  He is dirty, matted and crazy looking as ever, with dred-locks in his hair, dressed in animal skins and an intense look in his eyes.  His arms gesture wildly as people sit and soak in the sound of truth. 

There is a hush as a Roman soldier appears, wandering out into the water to answer John's call to repent.  Scowls and murmuring rush amongst the Jews sitting on the bank.  The soldier pauses, and John immediately siezes the opportunity to quell pride of blood.  "God could make these stones into children of Abraham" he tells them, bitingly poking at their sense of superiority by way of circumcision.  The soldier is baptized. 

A foot steps into the water, stirring the silt beneath it with a suddenness the silt had not experienced since it was created.  John's loud and charismatic preaching stops abruptly, as his hands lower from on high to just above the water.  As he looks upon the face of the man whose step into the water coincided with the heavy blow in his consciousness, he feels a sudden instinct- a strange urge to leap, and not out of fear, but out of Joy.  John recognizes Jesus and beholds with bewilderment. 

John turns immediately and in a slightly subdued voice points out Jesus to everyone on the shore, telling them that here is the man he's been preaching about and getting them ready for! 

Jesus approaches and asks for baptism.  After being convinced, John still does not understand as he takes hold of Jesus and presses him downward into the water.  Beneath the water, many faces have plunged, beind immersed in their act of repentance.  Their eyes held tight and mouths holding their breath, they are immersed.  Now, the face of Christ plunges in, his eyes open, his hair moving into the flow of the water.  Holding nothing back, he is immersed.  He immerses himself in our humanity! 

The voice of God echoes among the rocks and trees like rolling thunder.  Everyone hears it, and John testifies to it after Jesus leaves...

Lord, how exalted you are and yet the humble of heart are your dwelling. -St Augustine

Our Father...

Reading: John 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent. 
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

Picture John the Baptist- get a really good, detailed image in your mind.  He has all of the features of a hunter-gatherer, dressed in a camel-skin, hair beginning to form its own "dred-locks".  He is a wirey type of muscular, with veins popping out of his arms- he works hard to live off the land, though locust and honey apparently provide very little bodyfat. His face is dark from constant exposure to the sun.  While preaching to large groups, gathered on the muddy banks of the Jordan, he stands waist deep in the water.  They are in a slightly more shaded section of the river, with willows and poplar trees all around.  One by one, people slip down the thick muddy embankments to wade out to him, to be baptized in repentance of their sins.

Now their is a stir on the bank- someone important has arrived.  A group of the Levite priests- the familial group that traditionally handles all of the ceremonies, sacrifices, etc. at the temple.  John knows them well, since his father was one of them.  He pauses in his preaching to hear what they have to say.  They beckon for him to come to the shore, seeming to want to speak more privately.  He obliges, and, dripping wet, walks over under a willow with the priests to talk to them.  When they ask him if he is various people he is rumored to be, he just calmly shakes his head.  When they finally ask him who he is, or what he is all about, his eyes seem to become on fire; the look he gives them is very intense, as he calmly but decidedly tells them who he is,  fulfilling what the prophet Isaiah had predicted centuries prior.  

This means that the time of the Messiah has come!  What the prophets wrote of, is happening now!  The priests strain to contain the excitement.  John goes on to hint at this, speaking of the one who will baptize with fire, who they do not yet recognize...

This is my glory, Lord my God, that I might proclaim to you forever that there is nothing from myself for me. All good things come from you, for you are God, all things in all. -St Augustine

Our Father...

Reading: Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

Imagine yourself with the shepherds, in the hills outside Bethlehem.  It is night and there si a fire burning, about a half-dozen shepherds sleeping inside, with one or two just ouside watching the sleeping herds in case of wolves or thieves.  The cave and field are on a hillside, from which Bethlehem is visible.  The sleeping shepherds awake to find themselves engulfed in sheer light, which drowns out their fire, and leaves all but the angel himself less visible.  The other shepherds hear the commotion and come inside.

They all run the short yet still daunting distance of hill country into the town, looking through the various makshift stables, until they see one little cave mouth with a light burning inside.  Running in the streets and shouting, waving arms high in typical middle-eastern fashion, the shepherds run to spread the news- the Messiah has finally arrived (perhaps as unexpected as the Second Coming would be to us) creating disturbances without shame, while other sheperds stay in the stable with the Holy Family.  All in all the shepherds decide to keep watch over the baby instead of their flocks, seeing the Son of God's poverty and vulnerability. 

Saint Augustine preached about that poverty and vulnerability: "He lies in the manger, but contains the world; he nurses at the breasts, but feeds the angels; he is wrapped in swaddling clothes, but vests us with immortality; he found no place in the inn, but makes for himself a temple in the hearts of believers.  In order that weakness might become strong, strength became weak."

Our Father...

Reading: John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.

John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.

Take today's reading and go through it with the process of "Lectio Divina."  That is basically an ancient Christian method of meditation on the scriptures.  For a quick run-down on how to do that, read this. 

Reading: Luke 2:39-40

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

Today reflect on Jesus living with his family, Mary and Joseph.  Reflect on what a huge task God has given Joseph and Mary by giving them his son! 

Joseph's role as protector and provider got pretty stressed early on, with the local king attempting to kill his baby, having to walk the child and wife out through the Negev and then Sinai deserts to safety in Egypt.  Even when they returned, having to take the long way around because Herod's son was in power.  Once safe back in Nazareth though, Joseph was plunged into the "normal dad" life, working to put food on the table.  He probably had Jesus help out in the carpentry shop as a boy, teaching him everything he could.  

Mothers naturally worry about their kids.  Imagine the level of worry Mary had to endure, both early on with Herod's horrible acts and later, knowing that someday what that man Simeon said about Jesus would come true....  In their home at Nazareth, she too would've been put into the "normal mom" role, cooking, cleaning and everything else on the huge list of things that moms do.  She changed Jesus' diapers as a baby... she changed the diapers of God-made-man. 

In fact that truth remained throughout every mundane detail of every day- everything they did, they were doing quite literally for God.  Joseph was teaching the Creator how to build things.  Mary was nurturing the God who holds us in existence!  What an incredible thing to think about even for a few minutes! 

Let our beautiful God, the Word with God, come to us that we may gaze upon him with the eyes of our minds. He was beautiful in the womb of the Virgin where, in taking on our humanity, he nonetheless did not lose his divinity.  -St Augustine

Our Father...

Today, read the main page article about St. Thomas Becket, who was martyred a few days after Christmas many centuries ago. 

Then pray for courage and resolve like his.

Click here to read more.

"Remember the sufferings of Christ, the storms that were weathered... the crown that came from those sufferings which gave new radiance to the faith... All saints give testimony to the truth that without real effort, no one ever wins the crown."       -Saint Thomas Becket

Reading: Luke 2:22-40

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
They took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

Imagine yourself in the setting of the reading: in the temple with Mary, Joseph, and their little infant Jesus.  They are there to offer up a traditional Jewish sacrifice at the birth of a firstborn son.  They are moving through a corridor where men and women are still allowed together (deeper into the temple they are supposed to be separate).  An old man is sitting at the base of a column, gazing blankly into the passing crowds of people.  He has a boy standing nearbye.  Mary is looking over at the old man, wondering if perhaps he is blind, when she is startled: the old man's head turns quickly, and through the crowds, his eyes turn instantly onto she and the baby.  He hobbles to his feet, and with the boy's help, hobbles over to them.  Joseph was talking to someone just now, but sees the old man coming, and turns to see what he wants.

What he says is strange, and captivates them.  The baby will be the rise and fall of many in Israel... he is a sign that will be contradicted... a sword will pierce Mary?  Joseph isn't sure if he should step in and angrily stop the old man.  Mary seems unconcerned about herself, focusing more on what he had said about her baby.  She holds Jesus close, turning in and burying her face in Joseph's chest.  He holds them both close, and watches as the old man hobbles away again, taking his place at the column.

Next an old woman approaches them, also praising God and saying things about how great the child will be for the redemption of Israel.  Joseph and Mary are a little embarrassed at all the attention that's gathering. 

They finally go and offer the sacrifice they came for, and leave the temple with their baby... their baby, the Son of God...

Put on the humility of God. Put on the humility of Christ. Learn to be humble; do not grow proud. -St Augustine

Our Father...

Reading: John 20:1a and 2-8

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.

Today's reading is obviously a big jump from Christmastime readings.  Today honors St. John, the Apostle, and the reading specifically focuses in on when they had learned about Jesus rising from the dead.  This zealous young man, running with every bit of energy he had to get to the tomb (and clearly beating Peter there), is the same man who later wrote the Gospel of John, which begins so simply and so profoundly:

In the beginning was the Word.  And the Word was with God.  And the Word was God.

John places our focus on the Incarnation, on God becoming Man.  Which is what Christmas is all about, of course.  How appropriate that we get to honor him during Christmas time, when we also focus so much on God, the creator of the Universe, becoming so humble and vulnerable in becoming a human baby!  Pray that, like John, we can live our lives in awe and gratitude for this great mystery!

Our Father...