Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christmas I, Midnight, December 25, 2014, The Rescuer


Christmas I, Midnight

December 25, 2014
Matthew 1: 1 -25
[Now is proclaimed the beginning of the whole Gospel, according to Matthew in the first chapter.]

This is the book of the new creation, which has happened through Jesus Christ [or, the generation of Jesus Christ], a son of David, who is a son of Abraham.
….
From Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David to the deportation to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the exile in Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.

The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: Mary, his mother, was betrothed to Joseph. But before they were aware of having come together, she conceived a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph however, her husband, who was an upright man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, was considering whether he should quietly set her free [or, decided to consider all this a mystery.] As he was pondering this, behold the angel of the Lord appeared before him in a dream and said to him:

 “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because that which is to be born of her is conceived out of the power of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus, that is, the Bringer of Healing, for he it will be who will heal his own of their error and guilt. “

All this took place so that the word of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of the prophet, might be fulfilled:

“A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, that is, God in our midst.”
               
Now when Joseph rose from his sleep he did as the angel of the Lord directed him, and he took Mary to himself as his wife, and he knew her not until she bore her son, and he gave him the name Jesus. 




Christmas I, Midnight
Dec 25, 2014

Time is turning. Midnight is becoming the early morning of a new day. Its actual dawn is yet to come. But it is on the way.

This reading from the beginning of all the gospels is a kind of preamble. In the dream time, an angel announces to Joseph the striking of a new hour, a new day. The angel announces what will soon be the arrival of Jesus, whose name means help or rescuer. He will become the bearer of the Son of God. And he will rescue humankind from their error and guilt.

The greater new day is again approaching. The Light of the World is drawing near. We can sense His healing in our praying. The poet said:

Thou whose birth on earth
Wilfried Ogilvie, In the Beginning
Angels sang to men,
While thy stars made mirth,
Saviour, at thy birth,
This day born again;

As this night was bright
With thy cradle-ray,
Very light of light,
Turn the wild world's night
To thy perfect day.

Thou whose face gives grace
As the sun's doth heat,
Let thy sunbright face
Lighten time and space
Here beneath thy feet.
Bid our peace increase,
Thou that madest morn;
Bid oppressions cease;
Bid the night be peace;
Bid the day be born.[1]








[1] Christmas Antiphones by Algernon Charles Swinburne

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