Sunday, December 29, 2013 - Litany Lane Blog:
Vain, Psalms 128:1-5, Sirach 3:2-14, Matthew 2:13-23, Pope Francis Daily, Feast of the Innocents, Presentation of Jesus, Catholic Catechism Part Three: Life in Christ Section Two: The Ten Commandment Chapter Two: Second Commandment Article 2:2 Taking the Name of the
Lord in Vain
From Our Family to Yours, We Wish you a Merry Christmas
From Our Family to Yours, We Wish you a Merry Christmas
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge, reason and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. The Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe (fear of the
Lord) , counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and piety (reverence) and shun
the seven Deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and
gluttony...Its your choice whether to embrace the Gifts of the Holy Spirit rising towards eternal light or succumb to the Seven deadly sins and lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to the Darkness, Purgatory or Heaven is our Soul...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...~ Zarya Parx 2013
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Prayers for Today: Sunday in Christmas
Rosary - Glorious Mysteries
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
Pope Francis December 29 Daily:
Praying for Families Across the World
(2013-12-29 Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis on Sunday turned his attention to the dramatic predicament of migrants and refugees who not always find a welcome, but often become victims of human trafficking and slave labour.
Speaking to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus, the Pope said that on this first Sunday after Christmas, the liturgy invites us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.
He said that the Gospel narrates the Holy Family’s painful exile as it searched for refuge in Egypt and said that Joseph, Mary and Jesus lived the dramatic condition of refugees, “marked by fear, uncertainty and difficulties”.
Unfortunately today – Pope Francis said – millions of families face this same sad reality. Almost every day the television and the newspapers offer news reports about refugees that “flee hunger, war and other grave dangers, and go in search of security and a dignified life for themselves and their families”.
And Pope Francis continued pointing out that in far away lands, even when they find work, “not always do refugees and immigrants find a true welcome, respect, and appreciation for the value that they bring. Their legitimate aspirations clash with complex situations and difficulties that sometimes appear unsurmountable”.
So – the Pope said – as we fix our gaze on the Holy Family of Nazareth in that time when it was forced into exile, “let us think of the drama of those migrants and refugees who are victims of rejection and exploitation, who are victims of human trafficking and slave labour”.
Pope Francis went on to say: “let us also think of those other exiles – I would call them ‘the hidden exiles’ who may be marginalized within their own families – the elderly for example who sometimes are treated like burdens”.
The Pope concluded his address pointing out that Jesus wanted to be part of such a family and be faced with these difficulties so that no one may feel excluded from God’s loving closeness.
The Holy Familiy’s escape to Egypt – he said – shows us that God is there where man is in danger, where man suffers, where he flees, where he is faced with rejection and abandon. But – he continued – God is also there where man has a dream and hopes to return to his homeland and to freedom, where he has a plan for his dignity and for the dignity of his family.
Finally, praying for families across the world, Pope Francis reminded those present that there are three key words to live in peace and joy within the family: “may I?” , “thank you”, and “sorry” – words that help lay the foundations of love, reconciliation, tenderness and mutual help and forgiveness.
After the recitation of the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis turned his attention to the upcoming Concistory and to the next Synod of Bishops which will focus on the theme of the family: He asked the faithful to pray with him for the work of the Bishops and for families throughout the world.
Pope Francis on Sunday turned his attention to the dramatic predicament of migrants and refugees who not always find a welcome, but often become victims of human trafficking and slave labour.
Speaking to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus, the Pope said that on this first Sunday after Christmas, the liturgy invites us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.
He said that the Gospel narrates the Holy Family’s painful exile as it searched for refuge in Egypt and said that Joseph, Mary and Jesus lived the dramatic condition of refugees, “marked by fear, uncertainty and difficulties”.
Unfortunately today – Pope Francis said – millions of families face this same sad reality. Almost every day the television and the newspapers offer news reports about refugees that “flee hunger, war and other grave dangers, and go in search of security and a dignified life for themselves and their families”.
And Pope Francis continued pointing out that in far away lands, even when they find work, “not always do refugees and immigrants find a true welcome, respect, and appreciation for the value that they bring. Their legitimate aspirations clash with complex situations and difficulties that sometimes appear unsurmountable”.
So – the Pope said – as we fix our gaze on the Holy Family of Nazareth in that time when it was forced into exile, “let us think of the drama of those migrants and refugees who are victims of rejection and exploitation, who are victims of human trafficking and slave labour”.
Pope Francis went on to say: “let us also think of those other exiles – I would call them ‘the hidden exiles’ who may be marginalized within their own families – the elderly for example who sometimes are treated like burdens”.
The Pope concluded his address pointing out that Jesus wanted to be part of such a family and be faced with these difficulties so that no one may feel excluded from God’s loving closeness.
The Holy Familiy’s escape to Egypt – he said – shows us that God is there where man is in danger, where man suffers, where he flees, where he is faced with rejection and abandon. But – he continued – God is also there where man has a dream and hopes to return to his homeland and to freedom, where he has a plan for his dignity and for the dignity of his family.
Finally, praying for families across the world, Pope Francis reminded those present that there are three key words to live in peace and joy within the family: “may I?” , “thank you”, and “sorry” – words that help lay the foundations of love, reconciliation, tenderness and mutual help and forgiveness.
After the recitation of the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis turned his attention to the upcoming Concistory and to the next Synod of Bishops which will focus on the theme of the family: He asked the faithful to pray with him for the work of the Bishops and for families throughout the world.
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Liturgical Celebrations to be presided over by Pope: Winter
Vatican City, Winter 2013 (VIS)
Victimized Children. That children who are victims of abandonment or violence may find the love and protection they need.
Prepare the Savior's Coming. That Christians, enlightened by the Word incarnate, may prepare humanity for the Savior's coming.
Vatican liturgical celebrations presided by the Holy Father thru January 2014
DECEMBER
Tuesday
31 December: celebration of the first Vespers and Te Deum for the
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, thanksgiving for the past year, 5 p.m.
in the Vatican Basilica.
JANUARY
Wednesday 1 January, Solemnity of Mary Mother of God: and 47th World Day of Peace, Mass in the Vatican Basilica at 10 a.m.
Monday 6 January, Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord: Mass in the Vatican Basilica at 10 a.m.
Sunday
12 January, First Sunday after the Epiphany, Feast of the Baptism of
the Lord: Mass and baptism of newborns in the Sistine Chapel at 9.45
a.m.
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 12/29/2013.
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November 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children; Anew, in a motherly way, I am calling you to love; to
continually pray for the gift of love; to love the Heavenly Father above
everything. When you love Him you will love yourself and your neighbor.
This cannot be separated. The Heavenly Father is in each person. He
loves each person and calls each person by his name. Therefore, my
children, through prayer hearken to the will of the Heavenly Father.
Converse with Him. Have a personal relationship with the Father which
will deepen even more your relationship as a community of my children –
of my apostles. As a mother I desire that, through the love for the
Heavenly Father, you may be raised above earthly vanities and may help
others to gradually come to know and come closer to the Heavenly Father.
My children, pray, pray, pray for the gift of love because 'love' is my
Son. Pray for your shepherds that they may always have love for you as
my Son had and showed by giving His life for your salvation. Thank you."
October 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: “Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. Prayer works miracles in you and through you. Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God’s children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only His will – and then you will find joy and peace in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
October 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, I love you with a motherly love and with a motherly patience I wait for your love and unity. I pray that you may be a community of God’s children, of my children. I pray that as a community you may joyfully come back to life in the faith and in the love of my Son. My children, I am gathering you as my apostles and am teaching you how to bring others to come to know the love of my Son; how to bring to them the Good News, which is my Son. Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son. His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you. I will be with you until the meeting with the Heavenly Father. My children, it is those who walk towards the Heavenly Father with love and faith who will be saved. Do not be afraid, I am with you. Put your trust in your shepherds as my Son trusted when he chose them, and pray that they may have the strength and the love to lead you. Thank you." - See more at: http://litanylane.blogspot.com/2013/11/tuesday-november-12-2013-litany-lane.html#sthash.1QAVruYo.bk3E9rXR.dpuf
October 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: “Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. Prayer works miracles in you and through you. Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God’s children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only His will – and then you will find joy and peace in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
October 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, I love you with a motherly love and with a motherly patience I wait for your love and unity. I pray that you may be a community of God’s children, of my children. I pray that as a community you may joyfully come back to life in the faith and in the love of my Son. My children, I am gathering you as my apostles and am teaching you how to bring others to come to know the love of my Son; how to bring to them the Good News, which is my Son. Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son. His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you. I will be with you until the meeting with the Heavenly Father. My children, it is those who walk towards the Heavenly Father with love and faith who will be saved. Do not be afraid, I am with you. Put your trust in your shepherds as my Son trusted when he chose them, and pray that they may have the strength and the love to lead you. Thank you." - See more at: http://litanylane.blogspot.com/2013/11/tuesday-november-12-2013-litany-lane.html#sthash.1QAVruYo.bk3E9rXR.dpuf
Today's Word: vain vain [veyn]
Origin: 1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Latin vānus empty, vain
adjective, vain·er, vain·est.
1. excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited: a vain dandy.
2. proceeding from or showing pride in or concern about one's appearance, qualities, etc.; resulting from or displaying vanity: He made some vain remarks about his accomplishments.
3. ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile: vain hopes; a vain effort; a vain war.
4. without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless: vain pageantry; vain display.
5. Archaic. senseless or foolish.
Idioms
6. in vain,
a. without effect or avail; to no purpose: lives lost in vain; to apologize in vain.
b. in an improper or irreverent manner: to take God's name in vain.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 128:1-5
1 [Song of Ascents] How blessed are all who fear Yahweh, who walk in his ways!2 Your own labours will yield you a living, happy and prosperous will you be.
3 Your wife a fruitful vine in the inner places of your house. Your children round your table like shoots of an olive tree.
4 Such are the blessings that fall on those who fear Yahweh.
5 May Yahweh bless you from Zion! May you see Jerusalem prosper all the days of your life
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Today's Epistle - Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
2 for the Lord honours the father above his children and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons.
3 Whoever respects a father expiates sins,
4 whoever honours a mother is like someone amassing a fortune.
5 Whoever respects a father will in turn be happy with children, the day he prays for help, he will be heard.
6 Long life comes to anyone who honours a father, whoever obeys the Lord makes a mother happy.
12 My child, support your father in his old age, do not grieve him during his life.
13 Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy, do not despise him in your health and strength;
14 for kindness to a father will not be forgotten but will serve as reparation for your sins.
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Today's Gospel Reading - Matthew 2:13-23
The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth
Matthew 2:13-23
Matthew 2:13-23
1. LECTIO
a) Opening prayer:
God, our Creator and Father, you decreed
that your Son, generated before the dawn of the world,
should be like us in all things through his incarnation in
the womb of the Virgin Mary by the working of the Holy
Spirit. Send that same life-giving Spirit upon us, so that we
may become ever more docile to your sanctifying action, allowing
ourselves to be gently transformed by the same Spirit into the
image and likeness of Jesus Christ your Son, our brother,
saviour and redeemer.
b) A reading from the Gospel of Matthew:
13 After
they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph
in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with
you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you,
because Herod intends to search for the child and do away
with him.' 14 So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his
mother with him, left that night for Egypt, 15 where he
stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord
had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of
Egypt. 16 Herod was furious on realising that he had been fooled by
the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he
had all the male children killed who were two years old or
less, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the
wise men. 17 Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the
prophet Jeremiah: 18 A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting
and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted because they are no more. 19 After
Herod's death, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to
Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, 'Get up, take the child and his
mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those
who wanted to kill the child are dead.' 21 So Joseph got up
and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to
the land of Israel. 22 But when he learnt that Archelaus had
succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid
to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the
region of Galilee. 23 There he settled in a town called Nazareth.
In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be
fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.
c) A moment of silence:
so that the Word of God may penetrated into our hearts and enlighten our life.
2. MEDITATIO
a) A key to the reading:
Matthew’s Gospel has been called “the
Gospel of the Kingdom”. Matthew invites us to reflect on the
coming of the kingdom of heaven. Some have seen in the
structure of his Gospel narration a drama in seven acts that
deal with the coming of this Kingdom. The drama begins with
the preparation for the coming of the Kingdom in the person
of the boy Messiah and ends with the coming of the Kingdom in the
suffering and triumph of the passion, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
The Gospel passage presented to us for
reflection, is part of the so-called first act where Matthew
introduces to us the person of Jesus as the fulfilment of the
Scriptures. Matthew’s is the Gospel that often quotes the
Old Testament to show that in Christ the law and the prophets
are fulfilled. Jesus, the fulfilment and perfection of the
Scriptures, came into the world to re-establish the kingdom of
heaven already proclaimed in the covenant made by God with his people.
With the coming of Christ, this covenant is no longer
reserved for the Jewish people alone but is extended to all
peoples. Matthew addresses himself to a community of
Christian Jews, persecuted by the synagogue, and invites it
to be open to the gentiles. He is the wise scribe who knows
how to draw from his treasury that which is old and new. His Gospel
was first written in Aramaic and then translated into Greek.
Matthew 2:13-23 is part of the section
that deals with the birth and childhood of “Jesus Christ son
of David, son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1). Jesus is the son of his
people, but he is also son of the whole of humanity. In his
genealogy we find foreign influences (Mt 1:3-6). After Mary
his mother, the first called to pay homage to the newborn
Messiah are the Magi (Mt 2:11). With his light, the Messiah draws the
wise to himself and offers them salvation (Mt 2:1-12). The Magi
receive this salvation, unlike Herod and the troubled
citizens of Jerusalem (Mt 2:3). From the very time of his
birth Jesus is persecuted by the leaders of his people and at
the same time relives the painful experiences of his
people.
From the very time of his birth, Jesus
relives the painful experience of his people in exile,
humbled again and again. The Gospel shows us this by telling
us of the flight into Egypt and the murder of the innocents.
The drama of these events unfolds before us in the following
details:
i) The angel who appears in a dream to Joseph after the Magi leave, and the flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13-15).
ii) Herod who becomes aware of the deceit of the Magi and kills all the children in Bethlehem (Mt 2:16-18).
iii) The death of Herod and the “clandestine” return of the Holy Family not to Bethlehem but to Galilee (Mt 2:19-23).
i) The angel who appears in a dream to Joseph after the Magi leave, and the flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13-15).
ii) Herod who becomes aware of the deceit of the Magi and kills all the children in Bethlehem (Mt 2:16-18).
iii) The death of Herod and the “clandestine” return of the Holy Family not to Bethlehem but to Galilee (Mt 2:19-23).
The theme of kings killing those whom
they fear is common in the history of every royal dynasty.
Apart from this scene of Herod seeking out the child Jesus to
kill him, in Bible literature in the Old Testament we find
similar stories. In the first book of Samuel, Saul who has
been rejected by the Lord feared David and sought to kill him
(1 Sam 15; 18; 19; 20). Michal and Jonathan help David to flee (1
Sam 19; 20). Again in the first book of Kings, king Solomon in his
old age, unfaithful to the God of his fathers and with a
perverted heart, commits what is evil in the sight of the
Lord (1 Kings 11: 3-13). For this, the Lord raises up an
adversary against Solomon (1 Kings 11: 14), Hadad who during
David’s reign flees and takes refuge in Egypt (1 Kings 11:
17). Another of Solomon’s adversaries is Jeroboam who takes refuge
in Egypt to get away from the king who wanted to kill him (1 Kings
11: 40). Such were the dangers of a degenerate kingdom. In
the second book of Kings, this time in the context of the
siege of Jerusalem, “In the ninth year of his
[Nebuchadnezzar] reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day
of the month” (2 Kings 25: 1) of the year 589, we read of the
sacking of Jerusalem and of the second deportation of the people
in the year 587 (2 Kings 25: 8-21). The people who “remained in the
land of Judah” (2 Kings 25: 22) submit to Gedaliah who was
appointed governor by Nebuchadnezzar. “ Ishmael […] and ten
men with him […] murdered Gedaliah, as well as the Judaeans
and the Chaldaeans who were with him”. Then from fear of the
Chaldaeans, they fled into Egypt (2 Kings 25-26). In the book
of the prophet Jeremiah, we also find the story of Uriah
“another man, too, who used to prophesy in the name of Yahweh” (Jer
26: 20). Uriah flees into Egypt because king Jehoiakim sought to
kill him. The king in fact did find him in Egypt and killed
him (Jer 25: 20-24).
With these events as background to the
flight of the Holy Family into Egypt, Matthew shows us Jesus,
from his very childhood, as partaking of the fate of his
people. Egypt, for Jesus, becomes the place of refuge, as it
was for the patriarchs:
- Abraham who “went down into Egypt to stay there for the time, since the land was hard pressed by the famine” (Gen 12, 10).
- Joseph was threatened by his brothers who sought to kill him out of envy and was then sold to merchants who led him into Egypt and sold him to Potiphar (Gen 37: 12-36).
- Israel (Jacob) who goes to Egypt called by his son Joseph (Gen 46: 1-7).
- The family of Israel (Jacob) that goes to Egypt to establish themselves there (Gen 46–50; Es 1: 1-6).
Matthew turns the citation from Hosea 11:1 upside down: “I called my son out of Egypt”, and interprets it as if God called his son Jesus to flee into Egypt (Mt 2: 15). The original meaning of Hosea was, that the Lord called his son Israel to leave Egypt in order to start a nation. Jesus’ flight into Egypt and the killing of the innocents of Bethlehem remind us of the oppression of Israel in Egypt and the killing of all the new-born males (Es 1: 8- 22).
- Abraham who “went down into Egypt to stay there for the time, since the land was hard pressed by the famine” (Gen 12, 10).
- Joseph was threatened by his brothers who sought to kill him out of envy and was then sold to merchants who led him into Egypt and sold him to Potiphar (Gen 37: 12-36).
- Israel (Jacob) who goes to Egypt called by his son Joseph (Gen 46: 1-7).
- The family of Israel (Jacob) that goes to Egypt to establish themselves there (Gen 46–50; Es 1: 1-6).
Matthew turns the citation from Hosea 11:1 upside down: “I called my son out of Egypt”, and interprets it as if God called his son Jesus to flee into Egypt (Mt 2: 15). The original meaning of Hosea was, that the Lord called his son Israel to leave Egypt in order to start a nation. Jesus’ flight into Egypt and the killing of the innocents of Bethlehem remind us of the oppression of Israel in Egypt and the killing of all the new-born males (Es 1: 8- 22).
The prophecy applied to the murder of
the innocents is taken from the book of consolation made up
of chapters 30 and 31 of the book of Jeremiah. The
lamentation is connected with the promise of the Lord who
consoles Rachel, Jacob’s (Israel’s) spouse, mother of Joseph,
who according to tradition was buried close to Bethlehem, and
promises her that she will be rewarded for her sorrow, her children
who are no longer will come back (Jer 31: 15 – 18).
When they come back from Egypt after the
death of Herod, Joseph decides to live in Galilee in a city
called Nazareth. Jesus will be called the Nazarene. Later
also, his disciples will be known as Nazarenes (Acts 24: 5).
Apart from indicating the name of a city, this name may also
refer to the “shoot”, that is the «neçer» of Isaiah 11: 1. Or it
may refer to the rest of Israel, the «naçur» (see Is 42: 6).
b) Questions for personal reflection:
i) What strikes you most in this passage from Matthew?
ii) What does the kingdom of heaven mean for you?
iii) How does the kingdom of heaven differ from earthly kingdoms?
iv) Matthew introduces us to the person of Jesus as one who becomes one with the fate of his people. Read the passages cited in the key to the reading so as to reflect and pray on the events of the people of God, with which Jesus identified himself. What are similar situations in our world? Ask yourself what you can do to better the conditions where you live and work, especially if they are at variance with the kingdom of heaven.
ii) What does the kingdom of heaven mean for you?
iii) How does the kingdom of heaven differ from earthly kingdoms?
iv) Matthew introduces us to the person of Jesus as one who becomes one with the fate of his people. Read the passages cited in the key to the reading so as to reflect and pray on the events of the people of God, with which Jesus identified himself. What are similar situations in our world? Ask yourself what you can do to better the conditions where you live and work, especially if they are at variance with the kingdom of heaven.
3. ORATIO
a) Personal prayer in silence.
b) Conclude the lectio divina with this prayer:
Merciful Father, grant that we may
follow the examples of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and
Joseph so that we may always be strong in the trials of life
until the day when we may share in your glory in heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
4. CONTEMPLATIO
May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts. (Col 3: 15)
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Feast of the Holy Innocents
Feast Day: December 28
The Massacre of the Innocents
is the biblical narrative of infanticide and gendercide by Herod the
Great, the Roman appointed King of the Jews. The historicity of the
incident is "an open question that probably can never be definitively
decided", but according to the Gospel of Matthew Herod
ordered the execution of all young male children in the village of
Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of
the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. In typical
Matthean style it is understood as the fulfillment of an Old Testament
prophecy
"Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet,
saying, A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel
weeping for her children."
The number of infants killed is not stated, however the Holy Innocents have been claimed as the first Christian martyrs.
Biblical account
10th century illuminated manuscript
In
Matthew's account, magi from the east go to Judea in search of the
newborn king of the Jews, having "seen his star in the east". The King,
Herod the Great,
directs them to Bethlehem, and asks them to let him know who this king
is when they find him. They find Jesus and honor him, but an angel tells
them not to alert Herod, and they return home by another way.
The Massacre of the Innocents is at Matthew 2:16–18, although the preceding verses form the context:
When [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realised that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
History
Estimates of the number of infants at the time in Bethlehem, a town
with a total population of about 1000, would be about twenty.
The single account of the Massacre comes in the Gospel of Matthew: it
is not mentioned elsewhere in the gospels or by the well-known Roman
Jewish historian, Josephus
(37 – c. 100). There are numerous theories both for and against the
historicity of the event itself. The general consensus currently is
that, while the massacre certainly wouldn't have been impossible and may
even have been likely, given other documented actions of King Herod, it
cannot be positively verified outside of the biblical source. Worth
noting is that the difference of historical opinion tends to align with
whether or not the scholar in question views the biblical New Testament
narratives as historically valuable or not, with those (Christian and
non-Christian) crediting the New Testament as at least quasi-historical
willing to accept the possibility, while those skeptical of the New
Testament's historicity tending to doubt the massacre's occurrence.
Amongst
those historians who doubt the massacre's historicity, Geza Vermes and
E. P. Sanders regard the story as part of a creative hagiography. Robert Eisenman
argues that the story may have its origins in Herod's murder of his own
sons, an act which made a deep impression at the time and which was
recorded by Josephus. Other arguments against historicity include the silence
of Josephus (who does record several other examples of Herod’s
willingness to commit such acts to protect his power, noting that he
"never stopped avenging and punishing every day those who had chosen to
be of the party of his enemies") and the views that the story is an apologetic device or a constructed fulfilment of prophesy.
David Hill acknowledges that the episode "contains nothing that is
historically impossible," but adds that Matthew's "real concern is ...
with theological reflection on the theme of OT fulfillment". Stephen Harris and Raymond Brown
similarly contend that Matthew's purpose is to present Jesus as the
Messiah, and the Massacre of the Innocents as the fulfillment of
passages in Hosea (referring to the exodus), and in Jeremiah (referring to the Babylonian exile).
Brown also sees the story as patterned on the Exodus account of the
birth of Moses and the killing of the Hebrew firstborn by Pharaoh.
Of those scholars willing to grant the massacre's historicity, R. T. France
argues for plausibility on the grounds, inter alia, that “the murder of
a few infants in a small village [is] not on a scale to match the more
spectacular assassinations recorded by Josephus”. Schnackenburg follows this line also,
and Gordon Franz points to Josephus' failure to mention other pivotal
events in the first century AD, such as "the episode of the golden Roman
shields in Jerusalem which was the cause of the bad blood between Herod
Antipas and Pontus (sic) Pilate".
In similar vein Barclay follows Carr in finding Josephus' silence not
relevant, drawing a parallel with the diarist John Evelyn's failure to
mention the massacre at Glencoe.
Maier argues that sceptics have tended to "regard opinion as fact, and
have largely avoided a careful historical search into the parameters of
the problem". After analysing the arguments against the historicity of
the infant massacre Maier concludes they all "have very serious flaws". Maier follows Jerry Knoblet in arguing for historicity based on the "identical personality profiles that emerge of Herod" in both Matthew and Josephus;
Later writings
The Massacre of the Innocents at Bethlehem, by Matteo di Giovanni
The
story's first appearance in any source other than Matthew is in the
apocryphal Protoevangelium of James of c.150 AD, which excludes the
Flight into Egypt and switches the attention of the story to the infant
John the Baptist:
"And when Herod knew that he had been mocked by the Magi, in a rage he sent murderers, saying to them: Slay the children from two years old and under. And Mary, having heard that the children were being killed, was afraid, and took the infant and swaddled Him, and put Him into an ox-stall. And Elizabeth, having heard that they were searching for John, took him and went up into the hill-country, and kept looking where to conceal him. And there was no place of concealment. And Elizabeth, groaning with a loud voice, says: O mountain of God, receive mother and child. And immediately the mountain was cleft, and received her. And a light shone about them, for an angel of the Lord was with them, watching over them."
The first non-Christian reference to the massacre is recorded four centuries later by Macrobius (c. 395-423), who writes in his Saturnalia:
"When he [emperor Augustus] heard that among the boys in Syria under two years old whom Herod, king of the Jews, had ordered to kill, his own son was also killed, he said: it is better to be Herod's pig, than his son."
The story assumed an important place in later Christian tradition;
Byzantine liturgy estimated 14,000 Holy Innocents while an early Syrian
list of saints stated the number at 64,000. Coptic sources raise the number to 144,000 and place the event on 29 December. Taking the narrative literally and judging from the estimated population of Bethlehem, the Catholic Encyclopedia
(1907–12) more soberly suggested that these numbers were inflated, and
that probably only between six and twenty children were killed in the
town, with a dozen or so more in the surrounding areas.
Coventry Carol
The
"Coventry Carol" is a Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. The
carol was performed in Coventry in England as part of a mystery play
called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. The play depicts the Christmas story from chapter two in the Gospel of Matthew. The carol refers to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which Herod ordered all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed.
The lyrics of this haunting carol represent a mother's lament for her
doomed child. It is the only carol that has survived from this play. The
author is unknown. The oldest known text was written down by Robert
Croo in 1534, and the oldest known printing of the melody dates from
1591. The carol is traditionally sung a cappella.
In the arts
Medieval liturgical drama recounted Biblical events, including Herod's slaughter of the innocents. The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors, performed in Coventry, England, included a haunting song about the episode, now known as the Coventry Carol. The Ordo Rachelis tradition of four plays includes the Flight into Egypt, Herod's succession by Archelaus,
the return from Egypt, as well as the Massacre all centred on Rachel
weeping in fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy. These events were
likewise in one of the Medieval N-Town Plays.
The theme of the "Massacre of the Innocents" has provided artists of
many nationalities with opportunities to compose complicated depictions
of massed bodies in violent action. It was an alternative to the Flight into Egypt
in cycles of the Life of the Virgin. It decreased in popularity in
Gothic art, but revived in the larger works of the Renaissance, when
artists took inspiration for their "Massacres" from Roman reliefs of the
battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs to the extent that they showed the
figures heroically nude.
The horrific subject matter of the Massacre of the Innocents also
provided a comparison of ancient brutalities with early modern ones
during the period of religious wars that followed the Reformation -
Bruegel's versions show the soldiers carrying banners with the Habsburg
double-headed eagle (often used at the time for Ancient Roman soldiers).
The 1590 version by Cornelis van Haarlem also seems to reflect the violence of the Dutch Revolt. Guido Reni's early (1611) Massacre of the Innocents, in an unusual vertical format, is at Bologna. The Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens
painted the theme more than once. One version, now in Munich, was
engraved and reproduced as a painting as far away as colonial Peru. Another, his grand Massacre of the Innocents is now at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. The French painter Nicolas Poussin painted The Massacre of the Innocents (1634) at the height of the Thirty Years' War.
The Childermass, after a traditional name for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, is the opening novel of Wyndham Lewis's trilogy The Human Age. In the novel The Fall (La Chute) by Albert Camus,
the incident is argued by the main character to be the reason why Jesus
chose to let himself be crucified—as he escaped the punishment intended
for him while many others died, he felt responsible and died in guilt. A
similar interpretation is given in José Saramago's controversial The Gospel According to Jesus Christ,
but there attributed to Joseph, Jesus' father, rather than to Jesus
himself. As depicted by Saramago, Joseph knew of Herod's intention to
massacre the children of Bethlehem, but failed to warn the townspeople
and chose only to save his own child. Guilt-ridden ever after, Joseph
finally expiates his sin by letting himself be crucified (an event not
narrated in the New Testament).
The Massacre is the opening plot used in the 2006 movie The Nativity Story.
The folk group Show of Hands wrote a song from the perspective of the
families of the massacre, called "Innocent's song/ Gwithian".
Feast days
Triumph of the Innocents by William Holman Hunt
The commemoration of the massacre of these "Holy Innocents"—considered by some Christians as the first martyrs for Christ[—first
appears as a feast of the western church in the Leonine Sacramentary,
dating from about 485. The earliest commemorations were connected with
the Feast of the Epiphany, 6 January: Prudentius mentions the Innocents
in his hymn on the Epiphany. Leo in his homilies on the Epiphany speaks
of the Innocents. Fulgentius of Ruspe (6th century) gives a homily De Epiphania, deque Innocentum nece et muneribus magorum ("On Epiphany, and on the murder of the Innocents and the gifts of the Magi").
Today, the date of Holy Innocents' Day, also called Childermas or Children's Mass or The Innocents,
varies. The twenty-seventh of December is the date for West Syrians
(Syriac Orthodox Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and Maronite
Church) and East Syrians (Chaldeans and Syro-Malabar Catholic Church).
Twenty-eighth December is the date in the Church of England, the
Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church (in which, except on
Sunday, violet vestments were worn before 1961, instead of red, the
normal liturgical colour for celebrating martyrs). The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the feast on 29 December. Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on 11 January.
In
the 1962 Roman Catholic calendar, the violet vestments for Holy
Innocents were eliminated (red used instead), and if December 28 fell on
Sunday, this feast was commemorated on the Sunday within the Octave of
Christmas. This was changed in a later revision of the Church calendar.
In Spain, Hispanic America and the Philippines, December 28 is a day for pranks, equivalent to April Fool's Day in many countries. Pranks (bromas) are also known in Spain as inocentadas and their victims are called inocentes,
or alternatively, the pranksters are the "inocentes" and the victims
should not be angry at them, since they could not have committed any sin. One of the more famous of these traditions is the annual "Els Enfarinats" festival of Ibi in Alicante, where the inocentadas dress up in full military dress and incite a flour fight.
Various Catholic countries had a tradition (no longer widely observed)
of role reversal between children and their adult educators, including
boy bishops, perhaps a Christianized version of the Roman annual feast
of the Saturnalia
(when even slaves played "masters" for a day). In some cultures, such
as medieval England and France, it was said to be an unlucky day, when
no new project should be started.
In addition, there was a medieval custom of refraining where possible
from work on the day of the week on which the feast of "Innocents Day"
had fallen for the whole of the following year until the next Innocents
Day. This was presumably mainly observed by the better-off. Philippe de Commynes, the minister of King Louis XI of France
tells in his memoirs how the king observed this custom, and describes
the trepidation he felt when he had to inform the king of an emergency
on the day
References
- Albright, W. F. and C. S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
- Clarke, Howard W. The Gospel of Matthew and its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.
- Robert Eisenman, 1997. James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Viking/Penguin.
- Goulder, M. D. Midrash and Lection in Matthew. London: SPCK, 1974.
- Jones, Alexander. The Gospel According to St. Matthew. London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1965.
- Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975.
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Today's Snippet I: PRESENTATION OF THE INFANT JESUS
Book 4, Chapter 7
The Mystical City of God,
The Divine History and Life of The Virgin Mother of God
The Divine History and Life of The Virgin Mother of God
THE PRESENTATION OF THE INFANT JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.
 |
| The Fourth Joyful Mystery, The Presentation |
This will of the eternal Father, which was conformable to
that of his Son in so far as He was God, was known to the Mother of life and of
the human nature of the Word; for She saw that all his interior actions
were in unison with the will of his eternal Father. Full of this holy science
the great Princess passed the night before his presentation in the temple in
divine colloquies. Speaking to the Father She said: "My Lord and God
most high, Father of my Lord, a festive day for heaven and earth will be that,
in which I shall bring and offer to Thee in thy holy temple the living Host,
which is at the same time the Treasure of thy Divinity. Rich, O my Lord and God,
is this oblation; and Thou canst well pour forth, in return for it, thy mercies
upon the human race: pardoning the sinners, that have turned from the straight
path, consoling the afflicted, helping the needy, enriching the poor, succoring
the weak, enlightening the blind, and meeting those who have strayed away. This
is, my Lord, what I ask of thee in offering to Thee thy Onlybegotten, who, by
thy merciful condescension is also my Son. If Thou hast given Him to me as a
God, I return Him to Thee as God and man; his value is infinite, and what I ask
of Thee is much less. In opulence do I return to thy holy temple, from which I
departed poor; and my soul shall magnify Thee forever, because thy divine right
hand has shown itself toward me so liberal and powerful."
On the next morning, the Sun of heaven being now ready to
issue from its purest dawning, the Virgin Mary, on whose arms He reclined, and
being about to rise up in full view of the world, the heavenly Lady, having
provided the turtle-dove and two candles, wrapped Him in swaddling-clothes and
betook Herself with saint Joseph from their lodging to the temple. The holy
angels, who had come with them from Bethlehem, again formed in procession in
corporeal and most beautiful forms, just as has been said concerning the journey
of the preceding day. On this occasion however the holy spirits added many other
hymns of the sweetest and most entrancing harmony in honor of the infant God,
which were heard only by the most pure Mary. Besides the ten thousand, who had
formed the procession on the previous day, innumerable others descended from
heaven, who, accompanied by those that bore the shields of the holy name Jesus,
formed the guard of honor of the incarnate Word on the occasion of his
presentation. These however were not in corporeal shapes and only the heavenly
Princess perceived their presence. Having arrived at the temple-gate, the most
blessed Mother was filled with new exalted sentiments of devotion. Joining the
other women, She bowed and knelt to adore the Lord in spirit and in truth in his
holy temple and She presented Herself before the exalted Majesty of God with his
Son upon her arms (John 4, 23). Immediately She was immersed in an intellectual
vision of the most holy Trinity and She heard a voice issuing from the eternal
Father, saying: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I well pleased"
(Matth. 27, 20). Saint Joseph, the most fortunate of men, felt at the
same time a new sweetness of the Holy Ghost, which filled him with joy and
divine light.
The holy high-priest Simeon, moved by the Holy Ghost as
explained in the preceding chapter, also entered temple at that time (Luke 2,
7). Approaching the place where the Queen stood with the infant Jesus in her
arms, he saw both Mother and Child enveloped in splendor and glory. The
prophetess Anne, who, as the Evangelist says, had come at the same hour, also
saw Mary and her Infant surrounded by this wonderful light. In the joy of their
spirit both of them approached the Queen of heaven, and the priest received the
Infant Jesus from her arms upon his hands. Raising up his eyes to heaven he
offered Him up to the eternal Father, pronouncing at the same time these words
so full of mysteries: "Now dost thou dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according
to thy Word in peace. Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast
prepared before the face of all peoples: a light for the revelation of the
gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2, 29). It was as if He
had said: "Now, Lord, thou wilt release me from the bondage of this mortal
body and let me go free and in peace; for until now have I been detained in it
by the hope of seeing thy promises fulfilled and by the desire of seeing thy
Onlybegotten made man. Now that my eyes have seen thy salvation, the
Onlybegotten made man, joined to our nature in order to give it eternal welfare
according to the intention and eternal decree of thy infinite wisdom and mercy,
I shall enjoy true and secure peace. Now, O Lord, Thou hast prepared and placed
before all mortals thy divine light that it may shine upon the world and that
all who wish may enjoy it throughout the universe and derive therefrom guidance
and salvation. For this is the light which is revealed to the gentiles for the
glory of thy chosen people of Israel" (John I, 9, 32).
Most holy Mary and saint Joseph heard this canticle of
Simeon, wondering at the exalted revelation it contained. The Evangelist calls
them in this place the parents of the divine Infant, for such they were in the
estimation of the people who were present at this event. Simeon, addressing
himself to the most holy Mother of the Infant Jesus, then added: "Behold
this Child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and
for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce,
that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed." Thus saint Simeon; and
being a priest he gave his blessing to the happy parents of the Child. Then also
the prophetess Anne acknowledged the incarnate Word, and full of the Holy Ghost,
she spoke of the mysteries of the Messias to many, who were expecting the
redemption of Israel. By these two holy old people public testimony of the
coming of the Redeemer was given to the world.
At the moment when the priest Simeon mentioned the sword and
the sign of contradiction, which were prophetical of the passion and death of
the Lord, the Child bowed its head. Thereby, and by many interior acts of
obedience, Jesus ratified the prophecy of the priest and accepted it as the
sentence of the eternal Father pronounced by his minister. All this the loving
Mother noticed and understood; She presently began to feel the sorrow predicted
by Simeon and thus in advance was She wounded by the sword, of which She had
thus been warned. As in a mirror her spirit was made to see all the mysteries
included in this prophecy; how her most holy Son was to be the stone of
stumbling, the perdition of the unbelievers, and the salvation of the faithful;
the fall of the synagogue and the establishment the Church among the heathens;
She foresaw the triumph to be gained over the devils and over death, but also
that a great price was to be paid for it, namely the frightful agony and death
of the Cross (Colos. 2, 15). She foresaw the boundless opposition and
contradiction, which the Lord Jesus was to sustain both personally and in his
Church (John 15, 20). At the same time She also saw the glory and excellence of
the predestined souls. Most holy Mary knew it all and in the joy and sorrow of
her most pure soul, excited by the prophecies of Simeon and these hidden
mysteries, She performed heroic acts of virtue. All these sayings and happenings
were indelibly impressed upon her memory, and, of all that She understood and
experienced, She forgot not the least iota. At all times She looked upon her
most holy Son with such a living sorrow, as we, mere human creatures with hearts
so full of ingratitude, shall never be able to feel. The holy spouse saint
Joseph was by these prophecies also made to see many of the mysteries of the
Redemption and of the labors and sufferings of Jesus. But the Lord did not
reveal them to him so copiously and openly as they were perceived and understood
by his heavenly spouse; for in him these revelations were to serve a different
purpose, and besides, saint Joseph was not to be an eyewitness of them during
his mortal life.
The ceremony of the presentation thus being over, the great
Lady kissed the hand of the priest and again asked his blessing. The same She
did also to Anne, her former teacher; for her dignity as Mother of God, the
highest possible to angels or men, did not prevent Her from these acts of
deepest humility. Then, in the company of saint Joseph, her spouse, and of the
fourteen thousand angels in procession, She returned with the divine Infant to
her lodging. They remained, as I shall relate farther on, for some days in
Jerusalem, in order to satisfy their devotion and during that time She spoke a
few times with the priest about the mysteries of the Redemption and of the
prophecies above mentioned.
When the most holy Mary and glorious saint Joseph returned
from the presentation of the Infant Jesus in the temple, they concluded to stay
in Jerusalem for nine days in order to be able each day to visit the temple and
repeat the offering of the sacred Victim, their divine Son, thus rendering
fitting thanks for the immense blessing for which they had been singled out from
among all men. The heavenly Lady had a special veneration for this number in
memory of the nine days, during which She had been prepared and adorned by God
for the incarnation of the Word, as I have related in the first ten chapters of
this second part; also in memory of the nine months, during which She had borne
Jesus in her virginal womb. In honor of these events She wished make this novena
with her divine Child, presenting Him that many times to the eternal Father as
an acceptable offering for her lofty purposes. They began the devotions of the
novena every day before the third hour, praying in the temple until nightfall.
They chose the most obscure and retired place, meriting thereby the invitation
of the master of the banquet in the Gospel: "Friend, go up higher."
As an answer to her petitions He conceded to Her new and
great privileges, among which was also this one, that, as long as the world
should last, She should obtain all that She would ever ask for her clients; that
the greatest sinners, if they availed themselves of her intercession, should
find salvation; that in the new Church and law of the Gospel She should be the
Cooperatrix and Teacher of salvation with Christ her most holy Son. This was to
be her privilege especially after his Ascension into heaven, when She should
remain, as Queen of the universe, as the representative and instrument of the
divine power on earth. This I will show more particularly in the third part of
this history. Many other favors and mysteries the Most High confirmed upon the
heavenly Mother in answer to her prayers. They, however, are beyond the reach of
spoken language, and cannot be described by my short and limited terms.
In the course of these manifestations, on the fifth day of
the novena after the presentation and purification, while the heavenly Lady was
in the temple with the Infant on her arms, the Deity revealed Itself to Her,
although not intuitively, and She was wholly raised and filled by the Spirit. It
is true, that this had been done to Her before; but as God’s power and
treasures are infinite, He never gives so much as not to be able to give still
more to the creatures. In this abstractive vision the Most High visited anew his
only Spouse, wishing to prepare Her for the labors, that were awaiting Her.
Speaking to Her, He comforted Her saying: "My Spouse and my Dove, thy
wishes and intentions are pleasing in my eyes and I delight in them always. But
Thou canst not finish the nine days' devotion, which Thou hast begun, for I have
in store for Thee other exercises of Thy love. In order to save the life of thy
Son and raise Him up, Thou must leave thy home and thy country, fly with Him and
thy spouse Joseph into Egypt, where Thou art to remain until I shall ordain
otherwise: for Herod is seeking the life of the Child. The journey is long, most
laborious and most fatiguing; do thou suffer it all for my sake; for I am, and
always will be, with Thee."
Any other faith and virtue might have been disturbed (as the
incredulous really have been) to see the powerful God flying from a miserable
earthly being, and that He should do so in order to save his life, as if He,
being both God and man, could be affected by the fear of death. But the most
prudent and obedient Mother advanced no objection or doubt: She was not in the
least disturbed or moved by this unlooked for order. Answering, She said:
"My Lord and Master, behold thy servant with a heart prepared to die for
thy love if necessary. Dispose of me according to thy will. This only do I ask
of thy immense goodness, that, overlooking my want of merit and gratitude, Thou
permit not my Son and Lord to suffer, and that Thou turn all pains and labor
upon me, who am obliged to suffer them." The Lord referred Her to saint
Joseph, bidding Her to follow his directions in all things concerning the
journey. Therewith She issued from her vision, which She had enjoyed without
losing the use of her exterior senses and while holding in her arms the Infant
Jesus. She had been raised up in this vision only as to the superior part of her
soul; but from it flowed other gifts, which spiritualized her senses and
testified to Her that her soul was living more in its love than in the earthly
habitation of her body.
On account of the incomparable love, which the Queen bore
toward her most holy Son, her maternal and compassionate heart was somewhat
harrowed at the thought of the labors which She foresaw in the vision impending
upon the infant God. Shedding many tears, She left the temple to go to her
lodging-place, without manifesting to her spouse the cause of her sorrow. Saint
Joseph therefore thought that She grieved on account of the prophecy of Simeon.
As the most faithful Joseph loved Her so much, and as he was of a kind and
solicitous disposition, he was troubled to see his Spouse so tearful and
afflicted, and that She should not manifest to him the cause of this new
affliction. This disturbance of his soul was one of the reasons why the holy
angels spoke to him in sleep, as I have related above, when speaking of
the pregnancy of the Queen. For in the same night, while saint Joseph was
asleep, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, and spoke to him as recorded by
saint Matthew: "Arise, take the Child and its Mother and fly into Egypt ;
there shalt thou remain until I shall return to give thee other advice; for
Herod is seeking after the Child in order to take away its life."
Immediately the holy spouse arose full of solicitude and sorrow, foreseeing also
that of his most loving Spouse. Entering upon her retirement, he said: "My
Lady, God wills that we should be afflicted; for his holy angel has announced to
me the pleasure and the decree of the Almighty, that we arise and fly with the
Child into Egypt, because Herod is seeking to take away its life. Encourage
thyself, my Lady, to bear the labors of this journey and tell me what I can do
for thy comfort, since I hold my life and being at the service of thy Child and
of Thee."
"My husband and my master," answered the Queen,
"if we have received from the hands of the Most High such great blessings
of grace, it is meet that we joyfully accept temporal afflictions (Job 2, 13).
We bear with us the Creator of heaven and earth; if He has placed us so near to
Him, what arms shall be able to harm us, even if it be the arm of Herod?
Wherever we carry with us all our Good, the highest treasure of heaven, our
Lord, our guide and true light, there can be no desert; but He is our rest, our
portion, and our country. All these goods we possess in having his company; let
us proceed to fulfill his will." Then most holy Mary and Joseph approached
the crib where the Infant Jesus lay; and where He, not by chance, slept at that
time. The heavenly Mother uncovered Him without awakening Him; then the heavenly
Mother, falling upon her knees, awakened the sweetest Infant, and took Him in
her arms. Jesus, in order to move Her to greater tenderness and in order to show
Himself as true man, wept a little (O wonders of the Most High in things
according to our judgments so small)! Yet He was soon again quieted; and when
the most holy Mother and saint Joseph asked his blessing He gave it them in
visible manner. Gathering their poor clothing into the casket and loading it on
the beast of burden which they had brought from Nazareth, departed shortly after
midnight, and hastened without delay on their journey to Egypt.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN. (The Virgin Mary speaks to Sister Mary of
Agreda, Spain.)
My daughter, what thou must especially learn from this
chapter is, that thou accustom thyself to humble thanksgiving for the benefits
which thou receivest, since thou, among many generations, art so specially
signalized by the riches of grace with which my Son and I visit thee without any
merit of thine. I was wont to repeat many times this verse of David: "What
shall I render the Lord for all the things that he hath rendered to me?"
(Ps. 15, 12). In such sentiments I humiliated myself to the dust, esteeming
myself altogether useless among creatures. Therefore, if thou knowest what I did
as Mother of God, consider what then is thy obligation, since thou must with so
much truth confess thyself unworthy and undeserving of all thou receivest, and
so poorly furnished for giving thanks and for making payment. Thou must supply
thy insufficiency and thy misery by offering up to the eternal Father the living
host of his onlybegotten Son, especially when thou receivest Him in the holy
Sacrament and possessest Him within thee: for in this thou shouldst also imitate
David, who, after asking the Lord what return he should make for all his
benefits, answers: "I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call
upon the name of the Lord" (Ps. 115, 13). Thou must accept the salvation
offered thee and bring forth its fruits by the perfection of thy works, calling
upon the name of the Lord, offering up his Onlybegotten. For He it is who gave
the virtue of salvation, who merited it, who alone can be an adequate return for
the blessings conferred upon the human race and upon thee especially. I have
given Him human form in order that He might converse with men and become the
property of each one. He conceals Himself under the appearances of bread and
wine in order to accommodate himself to the needs of each one, and that each one
might consider Him as his personal property fit to offer to the eternal Father.
In this way He furnishes to each one an oblation which no one could otherwise
offer, and the Most High rests satisfied with it, since there is not anything
more acceptable nor anything more precious in the possession of creatures.
In addition to this offering is the resignation with which
souls embrace and bear with equanimity and patience the labors and difficulties
of mortal life. My most holy Son and I were eminent Masters in the practice of
this doctrine. My Son began to teach it from the moment in which He was
conceived in my womb. For already then He began to suffer, and as soon as He was
born into the world He and I were banished by Herod into a desert, and his
sufferings continued until He died on the Cross. I also labored to the end of my
life, as thou wilt be informed more and more in the writing of this history.
Since, therefore, We suffered so much for creatures and for their salvation, I
desire thee to imitate Us in this conformity to the divine will as being his
spouse and my daughter. Suffer with a magnanimous heart, and labor to increase
the possessions of thy Lord and Master, namely, souls, which are so precious in
his sight and which He has purchased with his life-blood. Never shouldst thou
fly from labors, difficulties, bitterness and sorrows, if by any of them thou
canst gain a soul for the Lord, or if thou canst thereby induce it to leave the
path of sin and enter the path of life. Let not the thought that thou art so
useless and or that thy desires and labor avail but little, discourage thee;
since thou canst not know how the Lord will accept of them and in how far He
shall consider Himself served thereby. At least thou shouldst wish to labor
assiduously and eat no unearned bread in his house (Prov. 31, 27).
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Catholic Catechism
Part Three: Life in Christ
Section Two: The Ten Commandments
Chapter Two: Second Commandment
Article 2:1 "The Name of the Lord is Holy"
Article 2
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
You shall not take the name of
the Lord your God in vain.Ex 20:7; ⇒ Deut
5:11
You have heard that it was
said to the men of old, "You shall not swear falsely. . But I say to you,
Do not swear at all.Mt 5:33-34
I. The Name of the Lord is
Holy
2142
The second commandment prescribes respect for the Lord's name. Like the first
commandment, it belongs to the virtue of religion and more particularly it
governs our use of speech in sacred matters.
2143
Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed
name of God. God confides his name to those who believe in him; he reveals
himself to them in his personal mystery. the gift of a name belongs to the
order of trust and intimacy. "The Lord's name is holy." For this
reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving
adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless,
praise, and glorify it.74Zech 2:13;
⇒ Ps 29:2
2144
Respect for his name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God
himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes. the sense of the sacred is
part of the virtue of religion:
Are these feelings of fear and
awe Christian feelings or not? . . . I say this, then, which I think no one can
reasonably dispute. They are the class of feelings we should have - yes, have
to an intense degree - if we literally had the sight of Almighty God; therefore
they are the class of feelings which we shall have, if we realize His presence.
In proportion as we believe that He is present, we shall have them; and not to
have them, is not to realize, not to believe that He is present.75John Henry
Cardinal Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons V, 2 (London:
Longmans, Green and Co., 1907) 21-22
Longmans, Green and Co., 1907) 21-22
2145
The faithful should bear witness to the Lord's name by confessing the faith
without giving way to fear.76Mt 10:32;
⇒ 1 Tim 6:12 Preaching and catechizing should be
permeated with adoration and respect for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2146
The second commandment forbids the abuse of God's name, i.e., every improper
use of the names of God, Jesus Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary and all the
saints.
2147
Promises made to others in God's name engage the divine honor, fidelity,
truthfulness, and authority. They must be respected in justice. To be
unfaithful to them is to misuse God's name and in some way to make God out to
be a liar.77Jn 1:10
2148
Blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in
uttering against God - inwardly or outwardly - words of hatred, reproach, or
defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one's
speech; in misusing God's name. St. James condemns those "who blaspheme
that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called."78Jas 2:7 The
prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ's Church, the
saints, and sacred things. It is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to
cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons
or put them to death. the misuse of God's name to commit a crime can provoke
others to repudiate religion. Blasphemy is contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. It is in itself
a grave sin.79 CIC, can. 1369
2149
Oaths which misuse God's name, though without the intention of blasphemy, show
lack of respect for the Lord. the second commandment also forbids magical use
of the divine name. [God's] name is great when
spoken with respect for the greatness of his majesty. God's name is holy when
said with veneration and ffear of offending him.80 St. Augustine, De serm. Dom. in monte 2, 5, 19: PL 34, 1278
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