Post-feast of Theophany. Holy Martyr Polyeuctus (249-51).
Hebrews 11:17-23, 27-31; Mark 9:42-10:1.
Read Hebrews 11:17-23, 27-31
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
As we continue to celebrate the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord each year, the hope is that our faith matures with each celebration. As a child, we behold the birth of a Child. As we get older, we behold the vulnerability of the God in that He as the God of the universe becomes so small as to be contained in the womb of the Virgin. We behold that nearby shepherds join in the praise of immaterial beings singing, “Glory to God in the highest and peace to all people of good will.”
We behold the effect of an innocent Child, He who is Truth, on the present powers of the world (Herod) and the desire to maintain power, prestige, influence, standard of living by the slaughter of so many innocent children. We behold that areas known to be dens of iniquity, the Gentiles, come to worship the new King—first in the wise men from the East (Babylon), and again as the King travels with his Mother under the protection of Joseph to the south (Egypt).
We behold how this small beginning leads to a life in Nazareth, the revelation of the Holy Trinity at His baptism in the Jordan, a period of forty days in the desert ending with temptations, three years of public teaching and healing, an incredible passion in the garden and at the hands of the authorities, both religious and secular, His death on a cross and His Resurrection, and His ascension to the right hand of the Father which leads to the Holy Spirit descending on the day of Pentecost – giving birth to who we are – the Church. And… we behold what has yet to happen… His return, His second coming.
Yes, each year as we celebrate His Nativity and Theophany, what and whom we behold gets larger. We find that the Mystery of Salvation is not something that can be contained. The faith which was so small has grown into something much larger. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews from which we read today notes that this incredible gift of faith—yes, it is a gift— is what brought Abraham to believe that the Lord will fulfil His promises through his son Isaac even though he is asked to offer his son in a sacrificial offering to the Lord. Yes, a maturing faith helps us realise that the Mystery of Salvation cannot be contained; rather, we find ourselves contained by this Mystery.
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Christ is baptised! In the Jordan by John!