In today’s Gospel we read about the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple. The Holy Family faithfully carried out all the requirements of the law as they were a devout Jewish family. For the Jews the spilling of blood was a source of uncleanness and so, after giving birth, there had to be a ceremony of purification after a designated number of days. Sometimes the husband too went through a similar ceremony. According to the Mosaic law (Leviticus 12:2-8), a woman who gave birth to a boy was not allowed to touch anything sacred for 40 days (in the case of a baby girl, the period was even longer) nor could she enter the Temple precincts because of her impurity. At the end of this period, as mentioned by Luke, she was required to offer a year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a turtle dove or a young pigeon as an offering for sin. Those who could not afford the lamb could offer two birds instead. The parents also presented their first-born son as an offering to the Lord, again in accordance with Jewish law (Exodus 13:2,12).

Two elderly people, Simeon and Anna, are mentioned in the reading. Simeon had received a promise that he would not die until he had laid eyes on the Messiah. Simeon was one of those known as “The Quiet in the Land”, Jews who did not look for a military Messiah, and had no dreams of armies or power, but believed in a life of constant watchfulness and prayer until God should come. Simeon was righteous and devout and the Holy Spirit rested on him. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon arrives at the temple and receives the infant Jesus in his arms.

How lucky was Simeon to receive the Son of God in his arms. But aren’t we luckier than him? We receive the body and blood of Jesus each and every time we celebrate the Eucharist. Still, do we feel the same ecstatic joy when we receive Jesus within us? For some, receiving communion has become almost a mechanical act without bringing about any inner joy and transformation. We should praise God in gratefulness. Praise is actually a joyful form of prayer. Aren’t there many things in our lives for which we should thank and praise God? The answer is Yes!  But sometimes we conveniently forget them.  Myself included.  There have been many times in my life where I have been pleased by the outcome of a particularly difficult situation and only later, sometimes much later, I remember to give God the glory and the thanks.  But thanking Him should not be an after thought!  We should remember to praise God at all times and in all places and to thank Him daily for the many blessings that he has bestowed upon us.  Even when those blessings may be hard for us to see.  As the song by Casting Crowns says, “I will praise you in this storm.”  Even when beaten down by the hardships of life, always remember to praise God.

Simeon then blessed Mary and Joseph and said, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed–and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Mary and Joseph are astounded at what was being said about their child. But this prophesy of Simeon is not so sweet for them. Jesus bringing about the fall of people is a difficult and dangerous idea to come to terms with. We know what happened in history. To Mary he says a more painful prophesy: A sword will pierce your own soul.

The hardships began at the annunciation of Mary by the angel of God were not yet over. They continued and would reach the climax as she would take part in the sufferings of her beloved son. The true greatness of Mary is not in the privileges God bestowed on her, but in her readiness to accept unconditionally everything God asked of her.

How do we respond when God asks certain things of us in our lives? Many times our preoccupations make us say “No” or some conditional “Yes” to God.  A little over a year ago, my wife and I were dealing with something that I pray no one else ever has to go through.  At a time when I should have been strong in my faith and trusted fully in God, with the full knowledge that He would see me through the toughest time in my life, I found myself questioning my faith.  Now I never questioned the existence of God or the life-giving blood of Christ shed of Cavalry, but I did question whether or not He was there for me in my hour (or I should say my almost 5 years) of need.  In the midst of this lowest point in my life, God’s call for me to serve Him in His Holy Church became increasingly louder.  To the level of almost deafening!  I can not lie….I became pretty agitated.  No, I became down right mad!  Why?  Because there I was, begging God to take the pain away.  Begging for Him to use His power to take this chalice from me.  Begging Him to spare me the emotional suffering I had to endure by no fault of my own.  Yet, there He was….seemingly ignoring my cries for help.  Not only that, but having the nerve to ask something of me.  Did I answer “Yes?”  Sure, in the long run.  5 years later!  Instead of responding to God with a resounding “Yes,” trusting that all is in accordance with His plan, I gave a “No” followed by many conditional “Yeses.”  When I finally let go, when I finally did as our most blessed Mother did and said “Yes” to God, that is when His blessings rained down upon me.

When we see God’s great interventions in our lives our eyes should be open to them in thankful amazement and our hearts should be raised in gratitude to the Lord.  Just as Simeon was able to die after seeing the greatness and the Glory of God in the infant Jesus, so too was I able to die to my old sin nature after I beheld the Glory of the Lord.  Be as Simeon and praise the Lord for all He has done and will do in your lives.  Be as Mary and say “Yes” to God no matter how hard it may be to do so.  In the end we shall hear God say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

Amen.

Imagine, if you will, that you are a young couple. Who, like most young people your age, find out that you are expecting your first child. Whether you have tried to have children, or this is an unexpected gift, doesn’t matter. Just the fact that you will soon welcome a blessed addition to your family, should fill you with joy. I have a niece who was told she would never have children, who now has not one, but two darling children. I can imagine the joy, and fear, this young mother must feel, watching her babies grow. All mothers feel joy when they have children, but there is also a pervasive fear. After the birth of my first daughter, I suffered a miscarriage. I was blessed to have another child, a daughter, just a couple years later. But I will always remember the loss of my second child, even if I never gazed upon his (or her) sweet face. This is a tragedy that wounds a mother deeply.

But there is another loss that is even more heart-breaking. I know my niece welcomes her children with gratitude and love. But sadly, one of these dear ones is a boy, who will be taken from her arms before his second birthday. Or he would have, if he had lived during the time of King Herod. Losing a child from miscarriage is hard. But to give birth to a child, then have this precious one snatched away from you, whether by illness, tragedy, or in the case of Jesus’ time, by the decree of a tyrannical king, is almost too terrible to imagine. Yet, it happened to many new parents of this time. Imagine my niece”s lil boy, instead of learning to walk and talk, is cruelly snatched from his home and sentenced to death.

Today, December 28, we celebrate the birthday of those children who were slaughtered, as the Gospel tells us, by the very cruel king, Herod. According to Mathew 2:1-18, Herod was “greatly troubled” when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of “the newborn king of the Jews,” whose star they had seen. They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also “do him homage.” The Magi found Jesus, offered him their gifts but warned by an angel, avoided Herod on their way home. As detailed in Matthew 2:16, King Herod then ordered all young boys in Bethlehem, who were two years old and under, to be executed in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus. However, an angel warned Jesus’ parents and they fled to safety in Egypt. .

“Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.”

Some believe that the children who were killed were the first Christian martyrs. Today, the Feast of the Holy Innocents is celebrated in churches worldwide. It is also called The Innocents’ Day or Childermas or Children’s Mass. We offer prayer for those innocent children who were slaughtered. By no fault of their own, by the fact that they were born male, and because a cruel man decided this must be done, these young souls were taken from their parents way too soon. I am thankful every single day for the blessed gift of my daughters. To have a child, whether boy or girl, but to then have someone decree they must be put to death, well I cannot imagine the heart break their parents must have experienced. Let us today, and always, remember these young children, the Holy Innocents.

“Blessed are you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah! You suffered the inhumanity of King Herod in the murder of your babes and thereby have become worthy to offer to the Lord a pure host of infants. In full right do we celebrate the heavenly birthday of these children whom the world caused to be born unto an eternally blessed life rather than that from their mothers’ womb, for they attained the grace of everlasting life before the enjoyment of the present. The precious death of any martyr deserves high praise because of his heroic confession; the death of these children is precious in the sight of God because of the beatitude they gained so quickly. For already at the beginning of their lives they pass on. The end of the present life is for them the beginning of glory. These then, whom Herod’s cruelty tore as sucklings from their mothers’ bosom, are justly hailed as “infant martyr flowers”; they were the Church’s first blossoms, matured by the frost of persecution during the cold winter of unbelief.

St. Augustine

A Prayer To The Holy Innocents.

Holy Innocents, you died before you were old enough to know what life means, pray for all children who die young that God may gather them into His loving arms.

Holy Innocents, you were killed because one man was filled with hatred, pray for those who hate that God may touch their hearts and fill them with love.

Holy Innocents, you experienced a violent death, pray for all who are affected by violence that they may find peace and love.

Holy Innocents, your parents grieved for you with deep and lasting sorrow, pray for all parents who have lost young children that God may wrap a warm blanket of comfort around them.

Holy Innocents, those around you certainly felt helpless to prevent your deaths, pray for all who feel helpless in their circumstances that they may cling to God for courage and hope.

Holy Innocents, you who are now in Heaven, pray for all of us that one day we may join you there to bask in God’s love forever.

Amen.

Open our ears, O Lord, to hear your word and know your voice. Speak to our hearts and strengthen our wills that we may serve you now and always. Amen.

First let me start by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas season!

Every year when Christmas rolls around I realise how very easy at this time of the year to get caught up in the hype, the presents, the food, and the times spent with family and friends and to lose sight of what Christmas is really all about and its place in our faith life.

I am sure that when many of you read or heard today’s Gospel there was hint of confusion in your minds. Here we are two days after celebrating the birth of our Saviour and we are hearing about Christ’s resurrection. It doesn’t really appear to make total sense at first glance. However, if we take a moment to contemplate Christmas and what it means for us, remembering Christ’s death and resurrection at this time of year is not that strange.

Most of us have known from an early age that Christmas is that time of year when we celebrate the birth of a very special baby, Jesus, who was born as God’s son through a special lady called Mary. As children though, the meaning of this message is somewhat lost on us, and rightly so. The birth of that baby in Bethlehem holds a potent significance in the life of the whole human family. Though we are of course, celebrating the birth of the Christ Child there is a much deeper significance to the event.

What we are celebrating at this time of year is theologically termed the incarnation; in Christ we do not simply have a baby born in peculiar circumstances, we in fact have God Himself coming to the earth to dwell and walk amongst us. Does God come clothed in glory to enact His will upon the human family? No He comes as a meek and humble babe, born in a stable to a carpenter and his wife. And it is here that we can begin to see the reason for remembering the resurrection today.

This miraculous birth leaves us with one big burning question; why? Why on earth did God in His power and majesty choose to come and walk amongst us mortals? Theologians have written many volumes on this topic, but I like to put it rather simply; God became incarnate as Jesus so that He could die. Take a moment to think about that; from the moment of His birth the babe in the manger was walking towards Easter.

I have to admit that I didn’t always look at Christmas in this light, for most of my life I’ve looked at it as the joyous birth of our saviour; and well we should. However, for me, this event has become tinged with a different shade as the story of Christmas is the beginning of the story of Easter. From here all of the life of this little babe was preparing humanity for His ultimate sacrifice for us. And so it is that today we are reminded of that fact by the Gospel reading. We are reminded that this little babe has laid the first foot on the path to Calvary and through His great sacrifice will come the miracle of the resurrection which will open the way for fallen humanity to enter into a restored relationship with God.

If there is one thing that we can take away from today I hope it’s the realisation that Christmas draws its significance from Easter. Christmas isn’t the penultimate celebration of Christ in our Calendar, rather it is the start of the path that leads to the greatest event in human history; the resurrection of Christ. It is my hope and prayer that we can all take a moment today in this busy Christmas season to remember the sacrifice of Christ and all it meant for us and to that God for loving us so much that He came to walk the earth as a simple child so that we could return to His loving embrace.

Let us pray:

Dear God, help us to focus on you today, remembering that the gift of Christ, Immanuel, is our most treasured gift for the whole year through. Fill us with your joy and the peace of your Spirit. Direct our hearts and minds towards you. Thank you for your reminder that both in seasons of celebration and in seasons of brokenness, you’re still with us. You never leave us. Thank you for your daily Presence in our lives, that we can be assured your heart is towards us, your eyes are over us, and your ears are open to our prayers. Thank you that your surround us with favour as with a shield, we are safe in your care. We choose to press in close to you today… In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(prayer from http://www.crosswalk.com)

Some of you may remember a wonderful Tim Allen Christmas movie from the 90s called, The Santa Clause. I remember seeing it the first Christmas it came out and re-watching it as a Christmas staple several Christmases thereafter. The movie is a light-hearted comedy about the main character accidentally becoming the new Santa and all to the shock and delight of his child who, due to his mom’s new boyfriend, had lost his belief in Santa. From the very beginning of the movie the father, played by Tim Allen is questioned by the boy about all the different reasons why believing in Santa seemed irrational to him and the father’s response was, “Charlie, sometimes believing in something means… you just believe in it.” wanting to instill faith in his son that anything is possible if you believe.

Later on in the movie the fathers own faith is tested when he arrives to the north pole and realizes that he indeed will be the new Santa, he questions an elf saying, “I see it but I don’t believe it.” to which the elf Judy responds, “You’re missing the point. Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing. Kids don’t have to see this place to know that it’s here, they just know.”

The whole underlying theme of the movie is that sometimes we get so wrapped up in our lives and what society teaches us as a reality, that we start to lose our faith and need to, ‘see to believe’. In today’s gospel, “Joseph [Mary’s] husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose [Mary] to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”” like the elf Judy reminded Santa of his faith and duty to it, so did the angel of the lord to Joseph.

Often today not only in this season but in our lives of modernity, we forget that miracles are possible through faith if we are willing to believe and submit to God’s plan for us as Mary did so many years ago when she said to the angel Gabriel, “I am the Lord’s servant,… May it be to me as you have said.” Christmas is a time that we should remember and proclaim to others the awesome news that, “With man this [miracle] is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” and that our wonderful Father in heaven, “… God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This season is a time to reflect and be reminded of the literal birth of our salvation into the world.

On this wonderful vigil of the Nativity of our Lord, I ask that we not be like Charlie the questioning child or like Joseph the caring but doubting husband and rather that we chose this Christmas season to believe that Christmas miracles do exist and that we don’t have to see them to know that they exist. Sometimes we just have to trust in ourselves and in our faith and instead of questioning or trying to figure out the will of God, we should just submit to it, understanding that if we only believe he will provide for us what we need because he loved us enough to let his only son who was born on this very eve die to save us so that we can one day be reunited with him and all his saints in his heavenly kingdom. So as we embark into the Christmas celebrations just remember, “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing.”

God, the one who loved us enough to give up your only son;

God the Holy Spirit who brought us the Word which became flesh and dwelt among us through your humble servant Mary,

and God the son who was born on this day to save us from our trespasses;

We ask that on this day of your nativity,

you grant us the hearts to believe without being witnesses to the event but knowing that it and its message is the truth of this season. May we each be witnesses to the Miracle of Christmas and bless others as you have blessed us.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

AMEN

St. John of the Cross, born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, in Spain in 1542, was a Spanish mystic, Carmelite Friar, influential poet and major figure of the Counter Reformation.  He was educated in Biblical Studies, Theology and Philosophy and chose at an early age to pursue a Religious calling.  In 1563 he joined the Carmelite Order and was ordained a Priest in 1567.

St. John of the Cross was a follower of Theresa of Avila.  He later became her Priest Confessor.  He and Theresa were on a mission to reform the Carmelite Order.  To restore the Order to the more strict observance that earlier followers were required to adhere to.  Because of these waves of reform, St. John was kidnapped and held in prison in a cell barely large enough for him to lay down in.  He was fed bread and water and his only possessions were a prayer book and an oil lamp to read it by.  He was taken out into the town square once a week where he was publicly whipped and then returned to his tiny cell.  Through all of this, his faith remained strong and he found solace in writing poetry.  After 9 months, John managed to escape from prison and rejoined Theresa and her Nuns in Toledo.  He spent the remainder of his life traveling and establishing new Carmelite Houses throughout Spain until his death in 1591.

As we read and reflect on the life, ministry and death of St. John of the Cross, we can’t but help to see the need for reform in our own time.  Not just in the Church, but in our Country, in our society and in our own lives.  As the year 2017 rapidly comes to and end, and we look forward to the start of a new year, we must pause to reflect on all that has happened.  2017 saw, in our Nation, division, hatred, prejudice, turmoil, death, destruction, a watering down of Church teachings and the decline of society.

In the Church, we saw traditional  Christian doctrine replaced by a more watered down and “socially acceptable” set of beliefs.  Beliefs that Jesus is no longer the only path to Heaven. That Hell does not exist.  That salvation is no longer necessary.  Sin is no longer sin.  Forgiveness is no longer needed because sin does not exist.  God is no longer The God….the one and only.  He (or she) is now defined by human characteristics and within the confines of human rationalization.  We now are able to decide who and what God is based on who and what we want God to be in order to meet our own views or agenda.  I attended a Bible Study earlier this year at an Episcopal Church where each participant described for us the “version” of God they worship.  My version, the God who has existed before the dawn of time, was viewed as out dated, judgmental and not “hip.”  Yes….you heard me!  My God was not “hip!”

In our society we saw racism rear its ugly head once again.  Blood was shed on our streets.  A war broke out between the police and the public.  Misguided youth rioted in towns across America; burning down buildings, destroying property and assaulting anyone in their path of destruction.  Leaders in our Government on both sides of the aisle, instead of standing up for what was right and leading us by example, used these travesties to push their political agendas.  We saw the Nation torn apart by one of the most hostile, disgusting and rigged elections in American history.  Politicians, vying for the role of Leader of the Free World, acted in ways that should embarrass us as a Nation and as a People for many years to come.  All of this fanned and fueled by a dishonest media.  Now as we come to the close of 2017, we are plagued by a storm of sexual harassment allegations.  From Hollywood to the Senate, hundreds of victims are coming forward to share their story.

If now is not the time for reform, I don’t know when is!  Just as St. John of the Cross set out to reform the Carmelite Order, we too should do all we can to usher in reform in both the Church and in our society.  Reform is not easy and often leads to hardship or even punishment for those who champion it.  Fear of arrest and imprisonment, just as St. John endured, is indeed a valid fear.  Maybe it’s a fear of losing your job or losing your friends.  I have seen many within the Episcopal Church speak out against the ever growing heresy within her walls, only to then be thrown out of the Church as a result.  I have seen friends lose friends over the election and even one passed over for a promotion because his beliefs are too “traditional.”  But do not be discouraged.  Find within yourself and within the Holy Scriptures the strength and the courage to speak out.  To champion reform.  To be the lonely voice crying, shouting, over the crowd.  Preach reform, teach reform, and above all, strive to reform yourselves first and foremost.  As the late Michael Jackson said, “if you want to make the world a better place, just look in the mirror and make a change.”

Often during the Advent season with all the shopping, baking, gift wrapping, cleaning, and preparing for guests, etc… I feel that we forget what this season is truly all about. During this season we are called to prepare the way in our hearts for the coming of our Savior but we often get too distracted instead by preparing our shopping agenda.

Some Christians may be surprised to find that from as early as the late 3rd century if not earlier, Advent was seen as a ‘mini Lent’; a time to prepare ourselves body and soul for the Nativity of the Lord. Christians were not only encouraged but expected to give alms to the poor and fast to prepare for Jesus’ coming to the earth. As John the Baptist encouraged his people to repent for their sins through baptism to make way for the Messiah. So are we called to put aside the commercialism of the pre-Christmas season and take time to make way in our lives and souls for the awesome beauty that is the nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

Humility is another important aspect or theme of this season that some Christians seem to forget. We get upset about receiving the wrong gift or not receiving one at all after giving someone else a gift; YouTube is laden with spoiled children throwing temper tantrums because they didn’t receive exactly what they wanted. The true gift we receive this season John the Baptist tells us he is, “not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The true gift we receive during Christmas is the man who gives up his life to save us from our sins, not the newest video game or latest and greatest smartphone.

So as this season in the US is preceded by a time to give thanks for all the things we do have, maybe we need to carry over that feeling of thanks and humility into the Advent season. Even if fasting or long hours in prayer is not your thing, try to focus on giving to those who genuinely need help and maybe volunteer at the local shelter or try to attend every Sunday in Advent and see where you local parish could use your help as for us in the religious communities this can often be the busiest times of the year and help from parishioners is always a blessing.

During this season I am often reminded of one of my favorite carols, “Good King Wenceslas”, in which a king sees a homeless man gathering fuel for a fire, when he asks his squire where the man lives he decides to bring the man food and wine and logs to help the poor man. It is a beautiful story but the part that always rings out loudest to me during this season is, “therefore Christian men be sure wealth or rank possessing, he who now shall bless the poor shall himself find blessings.” Sometimes it is hard in a commercially over-saturated culture like that of the USA to ‘stop and smell the roses’ or stop in to the church around the corner and light a candle and spend some time in prayer but as it was important for John to prepare the way for his people so long ago, I encourage you to take some time this Advent to prepare your heart and soul to experience the beauty and majesty of the birth of our Lord.

Heavenly Father,

During this holy time of Advent help us to prepare ourselves to experience the true meaning of this season as John the Baptist your faithful servant prepared his people.

We ask this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Reading 1: EZ 34:11-12, 15=17.

R Psalm: PS 23: 1=2, 2=3, 5=6.

Reading 2: 1 COR 15: 20=26, 28.

Gospel: MT 25: 31=46.

Today we come together to honour Our King and Our saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus is the One and true King of all heaven and earth. There is no=one who Jesus is not the ruler of, whether the person be an Earthly King or Queen, a President or a Prime minister of a country, Jesus still is ruler and King of all. Earthly kingdoms and offices of power are just that, earthly.

Jesus has His true Kingship of all, not by elections or earthly processes, but by election of God. From his resurrection from the dead and from his installation in heaven at God’s right hand. When our dear Lord rose from the dead, after paying for all our sins upon the cross, God the Father exalted Him and gave him a “name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.” and this includes everyone, ourselves, and all the rulers of the earth. Jesus lives today and rules over us from his heavenly Kingdom with the Father. Jesus doesn’t rule with evil or hate, or with earthly wants, policies and pride, but rules with love, mercy and forgiveness and who loves and accepts each of us where we are as long as we love him. We have a King that loves us so much that he suffered human death upon the cross for all of our sins, so that we could have a chance of eternal life with Him. What a wonderful Lord and King we have indeed!

Lord Jesus, you are the King of Kings!!

Let us pray:

O Divine Saviour and King of all, transform us into that which is pleasing to yourself. May our hands be your hands. Grant that every faculty of our being may serve only to glorify you. Above all, transform our Spirit, our will, and our affections so that they become those of you, our Lord and King. We pray that you destroy all within us that is not of you, our King of all. May we live in you, by you, and for you. Amen.