The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

These days of Christmas are given to us so that we might meditate upon the mystery of the Incarnation. The Incarnation is a joyful mystery, but it is also a luminous mystery – full of light. Light is a very important theme in the scriptures, and of all our senses, we rely to a great extent upon our eyes. Light is what makes the things around us visible, and when we see things, we begin to know them and understand them. The theme of light in the first reading is an invitation to consider a light that is not physical – not the sun, not the flame of candle or fire. We are to consider a spiritual light. What is spiritual light? It is something that makes us know and understand in a deeper way – it causes us to know and understand what we cannot see and know by our eyes. Light for the mind makes us understand reality more completely, we call that light, truth. When you know the truth, your whole mind is full of light: everything else you have known becomes clearer, and things you may not have understood become apparent.

St. John teaches us in his letter that the ultimate truth about God is that He is Love. That truth, and the clarity it provides for our life, can only enlighten our minds if it also inspires our heart and our actions. The truth about God can only be known and understood if love directs our attitude towards our neighbor. Jesus says, “I am the Truth,” and so the light He gives to our minds, by our faithfully adhering to Him, is the radical nature and call of love, “No greater love has a man than to lay down his life for his friends.” Symeon sees this truth in the flesh of the infant God placed in his arms. The Word has given all, has poured out His life into mortal flesh, to release us from the darkness of error, of wandering, of lovelessness. “Now Master, you release your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen the truth, my eyes have seen the love, my eyes have seen your salvation.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is also given a deeper truth to live by. Her heart, now pierced by the prophet’s word, the Word of God, the Word he cradles in his arms, is as though opened to the light of a more brilliant truth, a more profound love, only opened by the wound and suffering of her compassion.

HILARY OF ARLES:

There are three ways that we dwell in God—by faith, by hope and by love. God dwells in us by patience and humility.¹

HILARY OF ARLES:

The person who hates is in darkness until he repents or until he discovers love.²

BEDE:

The person who loves his brother puts up with everything for the sake of unity. Such an attitude keeps us from hurting anyone unduly.³

CAESARIUS OF ARLES:

If a man hates his brother, he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going. In his ignorance he goes down to hell, and in his blindness he is thrown headlong into punishment, because he withdraws from the light of Christ.⁴

AMBROSE:

“And a sword will pierce through your own soul.” Neither Scripture nor history tells us that Mary departed this life by a violent death. For it is not the soul but the body that can be pierced by a material sword. This, therefore, proves that Mary was not unaware of the heavenly mystery: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s Word exposes the thoughts and intents of the heart, because all things are open and naked to the eyes of Mary’s Son, to whom the secrets of our conscience are visible.⁵

Footnotes

INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN. Bray, G., ed. (2000). James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude (p. 179). InterVarsity Press.
INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN. Bray, G., ed. (2000). James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude (p. 181). InterVarsity Press.
ON 1 JOHN.Bray, G., ed. (2000). James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude (p. 181). InterVarsity Press.
SERMONS 90.6. Bray, G., ed. (2000). James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude (p. 181). InterVarsity Press.
EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.61. Just, A. A., ed. (2005). Luke (p. 51). InterVarsity Press.

Daily Readings

Friday of the Third Week of Easter
by USCCB on April 19, 2024 at 8:30 am
Reading 1 Acts 9:1-20 Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,went to the high priest and asked himfor letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"He said, "Who are you, sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,for they heard the voice but could see no one.Saul got up from the ground,but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straightand ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.He is there praying,and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananiascome in and lay his hands on him,that he may regain his sight."But Ananias replied,"Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.And here he has authority from the chief prieststo imprison all who call upon your name." But the Lord said to him,"Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mineto carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name." So Ananias went and entered the house;laying his hands on him, he said,"Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately things like scales fell from his eyesand he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized,and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,that he is the Son of God. Responsorial Psalm Ps 117:1bc, 2 R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia.Praise the LORD, all you nations;glorify him, all you peoples!R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia.For steadfast is his kindness toward us,and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 6:56 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood,remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 6:52-59 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,"How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them,"Amen, amen, I say to you,unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Bloodhas eternal life,and I will raise him on the last day.For my Flesh is true food,and my Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Bloodremains in me and I in him.Just as the living Father sent meand I have life because of the Father,so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,whoever eats this bread will live forever." These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

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