04 Sep 2012
Channelkirk - Childrens Kirk dedicated to the Innocents. Church history. Lauderdale's oldest church. The church at Channel kirk, the oldest one in Lauderdale, was founded between the 7th and 9th Centuries.
Christmas: December 28th
Feast of the Holy Innocents
Feast of the Holy Innocents: December 28
After the feast of the martyr and the virgin apostle we celebrate the feast of the infant martyrs. Also called Childermas, or Innocents' Day festival celebrated in the Christian churches in the West on December 28 and in the Eastern churches on December 29.
In the event, King Herod the Great 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 related to him by magi. He was called Herod “the Great,” king of Judea, but was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. Only because Joseph had been warned by a dream that this would happen and accordingly fled with his wife and Jesus to Egypt was the Savior spared (Matt. 2:13-15). The other innocent children were put to the sword. This is one of the seven sorrows of Mary: to realize the hatred others would have of her Son and Lord; to understand that saving her own baby led to the death of others. Our Christmas joy is tempered today by a feeling of sadness. But the Church looks principally to the glory of the children, of these innocent victims, whom she shows us in heaven following the Lamb wherever He goes. |
Daily Readings for:December 28, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day, not by speaking but by dying, grant, we pray, that the faith in your which we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of life. Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
12 Days of Christmas.
When most people hear "The 12 Days of Christmas," they think of the song. This song had its origins as a teaching tool to instruct young people in the meaning and content of the Christian faith.
1. On the First Day of Christmas: A Partridge in a Pear Tree
"...my true love gave to me..." The "true love" represents God and the "me" who receives these presents is the Christian. The "Partridge in a pear tree" was Jesus Christ who dies on a tree as a gift from God.2. Second Day of Christmas: 2 Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments.3. Third Day of Christmas: 3 French Hens
Faith, Hope and Charity.4. Fourth Day of Christmas: 4 Calling Birds
The Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists.5. Fifth Day of Christmas: 5 Golden Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament.6. Sixth Day of Christmas: 6 Geese A Laying
The Six days of creation.7. Seventh Day of Christmas: 7 Swans A Swimming
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.8. Eighth Day of Christmas: 8 Maids Milking
The eight Beatitudes.Four Calling Birds
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, four calling birds.
Continuing on our journey through The Twelve Days of Christmas, we come to the gift of four calling birds, or in the Christian world what we refer to as the four Gospels. Just as the angels announced to the shepherds the good news of the birth of Christ, the four evangelists announced the same to the world through their preaching and writing. Though all four proclaim the same Gospel, each of them does so with an emphasis on a particular aspect of the mystery of the Incarnation.
The symbol of Matthew’s Gospel is a man, which reminds us of his emphasis on Christ’s humanity. The essence of the Incarnation is that God becomes man without the loss of his divinity. Matthew also links Jesus again and again to Moses and the story of the Exodus.
The symbol of Mark’s Gospel is a lion, which can be seen as a symbol of Christ as king. Mark’s Gospel also begins with a description of John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. John comes onto the scene like a roaring lion, proclaiming the coming of the messiah. The symbol of the lion is often associated with courage and ought to remind Christians to have the same sort of courage John the Baptist had when living our faith.
The symbol of Luke’s Gospel is a bull, which recalls the sacrifices made by the priests of the old covenant. Luke’s Gospel reminds Christians that Christ himself is the sacrifice of the new covenant. His death on the cross is the final and perpetual sacrifice that opens for us the way to salvation. We as Christians are called to unite ourselves Christ in daily sacrifice.
The symbol of John’s Gospel is the eagle. John’s Gospel begins with a description of the eternal Word of God and in many ways has been seen to soar high above the earth in the theology presented. The eagle can be seen to represent Christ’s divinity. This symbol should remind Christians to keep their eyes fixed upward toward heaven.
Perhaps a good way to continue the celebration of Christmas today is to read from your favorite Gospel. My favorite one is Mark, whose writing reminds me of an action thriller. Which is your favorite?
No comments:
Post a Comment