The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of the atrocities in our world that will only be eliminated through love that motivates all our relationships, especially as we witness the actions of greed, revenge, and hatred that steal life from the children.
The reading from the First Letter of John proclaims God Is Light and Christ is Our Advocate.
* [1:8–10] Denial of the condition of sin is self-deception and even contradictory of divine revelation; there is also the continual possibility of sin’s recurrence. Forgiveness and deliverance from sin through Christ are assured through acknowledgment of them and repentance. (1 John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
* [2:1] Children: like the term “beloved,” this is an expression of pastoral love (cf. Jn 13:33; 21:5; 1 Cor 4:14). Advocate: for the use of the term, see Jn 14:16. Forgiveness of sin is assured through Christ’s intercession and expiation or “offering”; the death of Christ effected the removal of sin. (1 John, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 124 offers thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance.
* [Psalm 124] A thanksgiving which teaches that Israel’s very existence is owed to God who rescues them. In the first part Israel’s enemies are compared to the mythic sea dragon (Ps 124:2b–3a; cf. Jer 51:34) and Flood (Ps 124:3b–5; cf. Is 51:9–10). The Psalm heightens the malice of human enemies by linking them to the primordial enemies of God’s creation. Israel is a bird freed from the trapper’s snare (Ps 124:6–8)—freed originally from Pharaoh and now from the current danger. (Psalms, PSALM 124 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew describes the Escape to Egypt and the Massacre of the Infants.
* [2:13] Flee to Egypt: Egypt was a traditional place of refuge for those fleeing from danger in Palestine (see 1 Kgs 11:40; Jer 26:21), but the main reason why the child is to be taken to Egypt is that he may relive the Exodus experience of Israel.
* [2:15] The fulfillment citation is taken from Hos 11:1. Israel, God’s son, was called out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus; Jesus, the Son of God, will similarly be called out of that land in a new exodus. The father-son relationship between God and the nation is set in a higher key. Here the son is not a group adopted as “son of God,” but the child who, as conceived by the holy Spirit, stands in unique relation to God. He is son of David and of Abraham, of Mary and of Joseph, but, above all, of God. (Matthew, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)
Barbara Dilly notes that when winter nights turn to joy and good cheer, we first must pass through the longest night of the year. The earth in its orbit so far from the sun, let us all consider the good deeds of light left undone.
Now let us reflect on earth’s solstice sorrows: poverty, hatred, hunger, and violent storms.
Bigotry, racism, injustice, in all its forms. Let us seek light for our earth’s bright tomorrows.
Too many people are living in fear, in hopes that deliverance will soon be here,
Yet, we are mired in darkness so far from light, let us pause and consider what we can make right.
Too many hearts are weary and worn, too many children in anguish are born,
And too many people never see them at all, they live in the darkness and cannot hear their call.
Now is the season to seek warmth for our hearts, now is the season to make our new starts.
To work our way back to the glow of the Son and bring His life-giving blessings to everyone. (Dilly, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “The first martyrs of Christ,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).
"In Bethlehem therefore all the babies were slain. These innocents who died then on Christ's behalf became the first martyrs of Christ. David refers to them when he says, 'From the mouths of nursing babies you have perfected praise because of your enemies, that you might bring ruin to the enemy' (Psalm 8:2). ... For in this persecution even tiny infants and nursing babies were killed on Christ's behalf and attained to the consummate praise of martyrs. Meanwhile the wicked king Herod was destroyed, he who had usurped the realm to defend himself against the king of the heavens. Thus it is that those blessed babes have deservedly lasted beyond others. They were the first who were worthy to die on Christ's behalf."(excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 6.2) [Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."] (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 John 1:5–2:2 comments that John reminds us that Jesus is “expiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2). By his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has done more than just atone for our sins. He has released us from the very power of sin itself. That applies to our own personal sins but also to the sins of the whole world. John doesn’t want us to forget that Jesus can forgive and restore it all, even the heaviest, most heartbreaking, terrible things that we do to one another. None of it is a match for the redemption Jesus has won for us. This amazing truth can fill us with hope.
So of course, we weep and mourn, as Rachel did for her children (Matthew 2:18), every time we see the damage that sin inflicts on our world. But in the midst of our lamentation, our hearts can be lifted up by a sure and certain hope—the hope that Jesus, who took on flesh and came into our darkened world to redeem it, is there with us. He is holding out his hands to all of us: receiving victims into his embrace, reaching out to comfort the ones left behind, and even inviting those responsible to come and receive his mercy.
As we suffer with those who suffer, we can know that Jesus, who has forgiven and healed our sins and those of the whole world, is standing with us.
“Jesus, Redeemer, even in the face of tragedy, I place my hope in you!” (Meditation on 1 John 1:5–2:2, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler contrasts the theology of expiation in the Letter of John with the Gospel of John and its emphasis on revelation of God through love. We are called to perfection but we are not there yet. Friar Jude notes that the megalomaniac Herod may have been responsible for 50,000 deaths during his reign.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Choctaw elder and retired Episcopal bishop Steven Charleston who writes about how prophets arise in periods of crisis or “apocalypse” to chart a message of resilience and hope. Charleston believes that everyone can be a prophet if we awaken to the possibility and responsibility of our time.
I invite you to join me in becoming a prophet.… It does not matter what your race or religion may be. It does not matter what age or gender you are. We can all become prophets of our own time. We are all needed….
We are all prophets. We are not divine messengers. We do not speak for God. We are not miracle workers or moral judges. Instead, we are … human beings living in extraordinary times. We are what the Hopi are: communities seeking a spiritual purpose to their lives. We are question askers. We are vision seekers. We strive to be common-sense advocates for what will work best to help our people.…
Believe in yourself. You are a prophet. You are already making your migration. You have been chosen because you have been born. You are a prophet because you are awake. You are a keeper of revelation: a person with a thought that may create a new world. Do not hide that piece of the sacred tablet, for the time is short, but give it to as many as you can, as often as you can, until the apocalypse becomes a blessing. (Rohr, 2023)
We identify with the murder of the innocents through the ravages of war, greed, and insecurity in our world that kill children daily.
References
Dilly, B. (2023, December 28). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/122823.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/2?13
Meditation on 1 John 1:5–2:2. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/12/28/861575/
1 John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/1?5
1 John, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/2
Psalms, PSALM 124 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/124?2
Rohr, R. (2023, December 28). We Are All Prophets — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/we-are-all-prophets/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Rachel Weeping for Her Children. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=dec28
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