Boxing Day Sales.
Boxing Day has now become synonymous with post-Christmas sales. The great stampede towards a discombobulating array of discounted goods begins as soon as the doors of Myer creak open. And the nightly news will be smug with images of jostling middle-aged women trying to be first to grab a bargain. And in that moment when we thank God that we were a million miles away from the mayhem, the spirit of Christmas can seem in very short supply.
How was your Christmas lunch? Was there just loads of food that you never eat at any other time of the year? Did a far-flung group of relatives show up on the doorstep by design or “just passing through”? Perhaps there were some teens and post-teens home from university who probably slept in until noon and sat at the dinner table in clothing with the tags still attached? Could it be that a certain single uncle had one too many and incurred an injury whilst overestimating his ability during a game of backyard cricket? Were certain resolutions made early in the day not to mention this or that ancient family grudge until Boxing Day? And we can expect today that someone will eat sandwiches made from leftover turkey and ham and fall asleep in front of the Test whilst others try to organise the detritus from the festivities.
That’s Christmas. In actuality, the Christmas season continues on for a few weeks yet so it is time to continue our celebration of the story of the incarnation. Even today, we remember the great price paid by St Stephen for his belief in Christ. Sharp-tongued, Stephen notoriously remonstrated with the leaders of his day saying, “Which one of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute, and they killed the ones who prophesied the coming of the Just One, of whom now, too, you have become betrayers and murderers.” There was no reduction in the cost that this type of justified defiance can elicit.
So, on a day of bargains, remember this: there is something that we can acquire peaceably and without the use of a credit card – God’s incredible gift of life and love. God’s indefinable love for us is the cause for our rejoicing, something so incalculably precious that we should spend the time putting our feet up and just basking in how blessedly lucky we are.
MONDAY – BOXING DAY
A reading from the ‘Later Admonition and Exhortation, to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance’, by Saint Francis.
We must never desire to be above others but, instead, we must be servants and subject to every human creature for God’s sake.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon all those men and women who have done and persevered in these things and the Spirit will make a home and dwelling place in them. And they will be the children of the heavenly Father, whose works they do. And they are spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are spouses when the faithful soul is united by the Holy Spirit to our Lord Jesus Christ. We are brothers, moreover, when we do the will of his Father, who is in heaven; mothers when we carry him in our heart and body through love and pure and sincere conscience, and give him birth through a holy activity, which must shine before others by example.
O how glorious and holy, and great to have a Father in heaven! O how holy, consoling, beautiful and wonderful to have such a Spouse! O how holy and how loving, gratifying, humbling, peace-giving, sweet, worthy of love, and above all things desirable it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
TUESDAY – JOHN THE EVANGELIST
John is thought to John “the Beloved” Apostle, the one whom Jesus had special regard for and the one who accompanied Jesus on his journeys. Dying in about the year 95, John outlived the other Apostles and was the only one to die from natural causes. The Johannine literature, the Gospel, the Letters and the Revelation, are all attributed to this John but it is probably more realistic to appreciate this body of work as the accomplishment of many following John’s example.
A reading from ‘The Legend of Saint Clare’
Just as the memory of her Christ was present to Clare in her sickness, so too Christ visited her in her sufferings. At that hour of the nativity when the world rejoices with the angels at the newly born child, all the ladies went to the oratory for matins and left their mother alone weighted down by her illnesses. When she began to think about the infant Jesus and was greatly sorrowing that she could not participate in his praises, she sighed and said, ‘Lord God, look at how I have been left alone in this place for you!’ Behold that wonderful concert that was taking place in the church of Saint Francis suddenly began to resound in her ears. She heard the jubilant psalmody of the brothers, listened to the harmonies of their songs, and even perceived the very sounds of the instruments.
The nearness of the place was in no way such that a human being could have heard this unless either that solemnity had been divinely amplified for her or her hearing had been strengthened beyond human means. Butwhat totally surpasses this event: she was worthy to see the very crib of the Lord!
In the morning when her daughters came to her, blessed Clare said, ‘Blesse’d be the Lord Jesus Christ, who did not leave me after you did. In fact, I heard, by the grace of Christ, all those solemnities that were celebrated this night in the church of Saint Francis.’
Lord, you gave Clare the gift of a vision of the Nativity that she may join in the celebrations. May we be ever closer to you in the celebration of the Eucharist during the Christmas season. Amen.
WEDNESDAY – HOLY INNOCENTS
The Massacre of the Innocents is an episode of infanticide by the King of Judea, Herod the Great. According to the Gospel of Matthew. Herod orders 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 has been announced to him by the Magi. The incident, like others in Matthew, is described as the fulfillment of a passage in the Old Testament read as prophecy,in this case a reading of Jeremiah: “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 infants, known in the Church as the Holy Innocents, have been claimed as the first Christian martyrs. Some accounts number them at more than ten thousand, but more conservative estimates put their number in the low dozens. Historians generally view the event as non-historical.
A reading from: ‘The First Letter of Saint Clare to Blessed Agnes of Prague’
If so great and good a Lord, then, on coming into the Virgin’s womb, chose to appear despised, needy, and poor in this world, so that people who were in utter poverty, want and absolute need of heavenly nourishment might become rich in him by possessing the kingdom of heaven, be very joyful and glad! Be filled with a remarkable happiness and a spiritual joy! Because, since contempt of the world has pleased you more than its honours, poverty more than earthly riches, and you have sought to store up greater treasures in heaven rather than on earth, where rust does not consume nor moth destroy nor thieves break in and steal, your reward is very rich in heaven! And you have truly merited to be called a sister, spouse and mother of the Son of the Most High Father and of the glorious Virgin.
You know, I believe, that the kingdom of heaven is promised and given by the Lord, only to the poor, for she who loves temporal things loses the fruit of love. Such a person cannot serve God and money, for either the one is loved and the other hated, or the one is served and the other despised.
What a great and praiseworthy exchange:
to leave the things of time for those of eternity,
to choose the things of heaven for the goods of earth, to receive the hundred-fold in place of one,
and to possess a blessd, eternal life!
Lord, in the tragedy of the massacre of the innocents, we witness the terrible results of despotism. We pray for the people of North Korea and other nations in the grip of corrupt and unjust leadership. Amen.
THURSDAY
A reading from ‘The Fourth Letter of Saint Clare to Blessed Agnes of Prague
Happy, indeed, is she
to whom it is given to share in this sacred banquet so that she might cling with all her heart to him
whose beauty all the blessed hosts of heaven unceasingly admire, whose affection excites,
whose contemplation refreshes,
whose kindness fulfils,
whose delight replenishes,
whose remembrance delightfully shines, by whose fragrance the dead are revived, whose glorious vision will bless
all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem:
which, since it is the splendour of eternal glory, is
the brilliance of eternal light
and the mirror without blemish.
Gaze upon that mirror each day, 0 Queen and Spouse of Jesus Christ, and continually study your face within it, that you may adorn yourself within and without with beautiful robes, covered, as is becoming the daughter and most chaste bride of the Most High King, with the flowers and garments of all the virtues. Indeed, blessed poverty, holy humility, and the inexpressible charity are reflected in that mirror, as, with the grace of God, you can contemplate them throughout the entire mirror.
Look at the border of this mirror, that is, the poverty of him who was placed in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes.
0 marvellous humility!
0 astonishing poverty!
The King of angels,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
is laid in a manger!
Lord, you are the image of our own humanity. May we gaze into the mirror of your beauty and simple humanity. Amen.
FRIDAY – THE HOLY FAMILY
Joseph, Mary and Jesus were a remarkable family in anyone’s books. An epic journey, a traumatic birth and then a swift escape to Egypt. Even in the infancy of Jesus, Mary and Joseph could conceivably had a few childrearing issues. Due to the cultus mariae, we can find it difficult to reconcile the Holy Family with a loving unit. However, with all the obstacles thrown their way, love must have kept them faithful and committed to the development of their son.
A reading from ‘The Assisi Compilation‘.
One day, a Minister of the brothers came to blessed Francis, who was then staying in that same place, in order to celebrate the feast of Christmas with him. It happened that the brothers of that place on Christmas day itself prepared the table elaborately because of that Minister, covering it with lovely white tablecloths which they obtained for the occasion, and vessels of glass for drinking.
Blessed Francis came down from the cell to eat and, when he saw, the table set on a dais and finely prepared, he went secretly and took the hat of a poor man who had arrived there that very day, and the staff he carried in his hand. He called one of his companions in a whisper and went outside the door of the hermitage, unnoticed by the other brothers of the house.
His companion closed the door, remaining next to it on the inside. Blessed Francis knocked on the door and he immediately opened it for him. He entered with his hat on his back and with staff in hand, like a pilgrim. When he came to the door of the house, where the brothers were eating, he called out to the brothers like a poor man, ‘For the love of the Lord God, give alms to this poor, sick pilgrim.’
That Minister and the other brothers recognised him at once. The Minister told him, ‘Brother, we are also poor and, because we are so many, we need these alms we are eating. But, for the love of that Lord you invoked, come into the house, and we will give you some of the alms which the Lord has given to us.’
When he came in and stood in front of the brothers’ table, the Minister gave him the bowl from which he was eating and some bread. Taking it, he sat down on the floor beside the fire, facing The brothers who sat at the elevated table. Sighing, he said to the brothers, ‘When I saw the table, finely and elaborately prepared, I considered that this was not a table of poor Religious, who go door-to-door each day. For more than other Religious, we should follow the example of poverty and humility in all things, because we have been called to this and have professed this before God and humanity. So, now it seems to me that I am seated like a brother.’
Lord, the poverty of the Holy Family is a reminder of the struggle of all families. May we support the members of our family and show our love for one another always. Amen.
SATURDAY – NEW YEARS EVE
A reading from ‘The Assisi Compilation’.
Saturday evening before nightfall, after vespers, when blessd Francis passed to the Lord, many birds called larks flew low above the roof of the house where blessd Francis lay; wheeling in a circle and singing.
We who were with blessd Francis, and who wrote these things about him, bear witness that we often heard him say, ‘If I ever speak to the emperor, I will beg him, for the love of God and by my entreaties, to enact a written law forbidding anyone to catch our sister larks or, do them any harm. Likewise, all mayors of cities and lords of castles and villages should be bound to oblige people each year on the Nativity of the Lord to scatter wheat and other grain along the roads outside towns and villages, so that all the birds, but especially our sister larks, may have something to eat on such a solemn feast. Also, out of reverence for the Son of God, whom his Virgin Mother on that night laid in a manger between an ox and an ass, everyone should have to give brother ox and brother ass a generous portion of fodder on that night. Likewise, on the Nativity of the Lord, all the poor should be fed their fill by the rich.’
Lord, as we embark upon a brighter and more blessed 2012, help us to be people of optimism and creators of good fortune. Amen.
bromatt2011
The Hill 