Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The Shortest Day of the Year
Today usually marks the shortest day of the year. In ancient calendars, the shortest day was December 25. It was celebrated as the pagan feast of the "Unconquered Sun," since the sun, which had been slowly dying, began to rally and overcome darkness.
When Was Jesus Born?
No one knows the month or day of Jesus’ birth. In the fourth century Christians began to celebrate it on December 25, probably to change the pagan feast into a celebration of the birth of the Light of the World.
Backing up nine months from that date, the Church celebrated the Annunciation on March 25, which in the old calendar was the first day of spring.
In Luke’s account, the angel Gabriel told Mary at the Annunciation that her kinswoman, Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s mother) was in her sixth month. Since the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25, John’s birth is celebrated about three months later – on June 24 – the time of year when daylight gradually begins to decrease. The Baptist had said: “He must increase; I must decrease.”
All this, of course, is symbolic structuring of the liturgical calendar, making use of light and darkness. For the early Christians, the truths of their faith were played out in the heavens – before their very eyes.
Tuesday - Fourth Week of Advent
When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. (Matthew 2:19-21)
Another dream for Joseph, and another response: He does what he’s asked to do.
Going home. What was going on inside Joseph and Mary as they traveled eastward to Israel?
They must have wondered, as parents do, about the future of their child. What did God have in mind for him? What did God have in mind for them?
Joseph and Mary did not have a “Trip-Tik” of their life any more than we do. Mary didn’t know that she would become a widow and be left alone to raise her son. She didn’t know the son she raised would be executed as a criminal.
Nor did she know the good news that he would rise from the dead. Or that when her days came to an end she would be assumed bodily into heaven to be with him and all the saints.
One day at a time. Do the Lord’s will as best we can without knowing the future. The Lord will take care of us along the way, and when it’s all over, the Lord will bring us home.
Spend some quiet time with the Lord.
