9 January 2025 - victory in Christ

Today's Readings

(Audio)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

The Spirit of the Lord was revealed to be upon Jesus at his baptism when it descended upon him like a dove. He was then revealed to be the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one. But he had been this since even before his birth, since the moment he was conceived. This anointing not merely an interesting fact or an identifying characteristic. Instead the anointing gave direction to his life, as we can see when, for instance, the Spirit drove him into the desert to be tempted (see Mark 1:12).

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

Jesus was obviously not led into the desert to be tempted for the sake of exposing himself to danger. He did not go so that he could merely gloat over a victory. Instead, it was a part of his plan to refashion broken humanity. By being first victorious in all of the ways that sin made people prone to fail, Jesus made it possible for those in union with him by faith to share in his victory.

for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. 

And the victory that conquers the world is our faith

The Spirit therefore drove him not only into the desert but also toward his mission to proclaim the good news to the poor, as he did in the beatitudes. He came also to give sight to the blind, especially to those who were spiritually blind and new they were. He was driven to overthrow any power the enemy had over the creatures he had made. Ultimately, nothing, not even death itself could stand in the way of this victory.

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

It was not obvious to all who heard that the passage had been fulfilled in their hearing. They thought Jesus was one of them and that they knew everything there was to know about him. In that moment it required faith to recognize the fulfillment. So too for us, who have by now grown accustomed to our relationship with Jesus. He invites us to share in his victory. But it must first be by faith before it can be by sight.

Graham Kendrick - For This Purpose

8 January 2025 - there is no fear in love

Today's Readings

(Audio)

But when they saw him walking on the sea,

they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 

Since perfect love drives out fear we can see that they had not yet been perfected in love. This was in fact what the miracle of the loaves was meant to accomplish. They were to recognize in Jesus the God who desired to be himself the shepherd of his people Israel. He intended to lead them not only through the valley of the shadow of death but also to keep the safe during storms, whether during the first watch of the night or the fourth. 

They were completely astounded. 

They had not understood the incident of the loaves. 

On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

The miracle of the loaves had not had the desired effect on the disciples themselves. More than anyone else who witnessed it they should have recognized that in Jesus there was a sufficient abundance to meet every need. Perhaps at a distance it might have been possible to ignore this reality. But they themselves were so involved, both by bringing the five loaves and two wish, and by providing the multiplied results to the people. They were not only seeing an impressive miracle. Jesus himself was demonstrating his love and compassion for the crowd through them. It was one thing to ignore a miracle. It was another to harden oneself against this kind of participation in the divine love. We are led to wonder if there are ever times when Jesus uses us to express his love, perhaps even literally involving us in miracles, and yet we harden our hearts. Perhaps it is too different from our expectations or too distinct from our more selfish desires. Perhaps we mostly feel relief that its over rather than thankfulness that we were privileged to participate. How might we allow Jesus to help us have a better attitude?

But at once he spoke with them,

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 

He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. 

The hour seems more late and the storms seem more terrifying when we believe that we are facing them alone. When our hearts are hardened even the presence of Jesus can at times feel like a hostile external force. But Jesus does not wish to leave us in this condition. If the initial theophany of 'passing by' is insufficient he is willing to get into the little boat of our soul and speak words of peace. This helps us learn to see things correctly. It is not the circumstances of the storm that have the last word. It is rather Jesus himself, whose word can calm even the fiercest wind. He wants us all to be able to testify together with John the Evangelist, "We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us".

Peter Furler - Psalm 23

7 January 2025 - God is love. But what kind?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Beloved, let us love one another,

because love is of God;

God, John tells us, is love. But is this love in some abstract, philosophical sense? Is he merely using poetic license to make God seem more relatable when he is really still distant and unapproachable? It would have been hard to tell for sure except that, "God sent his only-begotten Son into the world". In Jesus we see the Father's heart revealed. And this revelation makes it clear. We are not merely projecting human terminology on God. The love of God is related to human love as its source and origin. Thus the main thing is "not that we have loved God, but that he loved us".

Of course our human understanding of love is imperfect. We call some things love that are closer to categories of use and even exploitation. But this does not mean that we can't recognize true love when we see it in action. It does mean that we need to allow God's kind of love to purify our ideas of love. It was difficult to do this when there was still the immense difference between humanity and God that preceded the incarnation. But once Jesus became flesh his own life became the perfect example of love, a love greater than which no one ever had.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (see John 15:13).

Because God is love and Jesus is God all of the individual episodes from the life of Jesus take on rich meaning as the love of God is revealed in the shape of a human life.

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

Jesus possessed a love that was not merely an indifferent altruism. Rather he saw the deepest needs of the crowds and longed to fulfill those needs. He was sympathetic with their hunger for bread, but especially for their hunger for him. He knew that the crowds possessed a desire that he alone could satisfy, that they were in fact made to find fulfillment in him. This was not merely a curious fact that he addressed because, as God, it was easy for him to do so. Rather it was something that deeply mattered to him, so much so that he gave all that he was, his very life, to satisfy them. 

They all ate and were satisfied.

The crowds that ate and were satisfied pointed to the future when Jesus would far surpass the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves with the gift of himself in the bread of the Eucharist. His love for his people would stop at nothing less than giving his very life as a sacrificial lamb so that his Church could forever keep the feast (see First Corinthians 5:7-9) and experience satisfaction, a peace the world could not give or take away.

Damascus Worship Featuring Seph Schlueter - No Distance / Emmanuel

6 January 2025 - light has arisen

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali

Zebulun and Naphtali were among the first places to experience the Assyrian exile. It may have seemed that something like this could only happen if Israel was forgotten by God, something which people did in fact feel.

Can a woman forget her nursing child,

that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget,

yet I will not forget you (see Isaiah 49:15).

As evidence that God did not forget it was to the first people who experienced the darkness of exile that Jesus would first shine the light of his ministry. They had, it was true, sat in darkness and been overshadowed by death. But in Jesus they were the first ones privileged to see a great light. It was on them that the light of Jesus chose to arise. 

Maybe if all Jesus had planned to do was to restore Israel to its preexilic condition it would have seemed like too little, too late. But his plan went much deeper than merely resolving geopolitical problems. The Kingdom that was now at hand was not merely that of a world power like Assyria nor even an elevated and empowered nation of Israel. His Kingdom did not have its origin in this world but rather in heaven. But the fact that it was not of this world did not mean it had no impact on this world. Instead it was precisely because it was the Kingdom of heaven that it had the power to transform the earth. And it would do this in a way that went beyond politics. It would actually address the root causes of the problems in the world: lack of truth, sin, disease, and death.

He went around all of Galilee,

teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,

and curing every disease and illness among the people.

It was important not only to see the light present in Jesus but to abide in the light. In order to get on board with the Kingdom plan it was necessary to repent. This meant to transcend old and limiting beliefs about oneself, others, the world, and God, and choosing a new and spiritual way of thinking. The source of this new mindset was not the self, nor the media, but was rooted in the same place the Kingdom of heaven was revealed: Jesus himself. This was the reason for the criterion John the Evangelist gives to test the truth or falsity of and spirit:

This is how you can know the Spirit of God:

every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh

belongs to God,

and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus

does not belong to God.

Let's not make things excessively complicated. The commandment comes down to belief in Jesus, hope in his promises, and a response of love to the love he first showed for us. He gave us his Spirit to protect us and guide us along the way. It was never meant to be about what we could do on our own apart from God. Instead we must remember, "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world".

Maranatha! Music - Shine Jesus Shine

5 January 2025 - we saw his star

Today's Readings

(Audio)

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.”

Though not Jews themselves the magi came to do homage to the king of the Jews. And this was not the perfunctory homage of politicians. It wasn't as though an announcement went out from a palace about the birth of an heir and the magi were now simply fulfilling an obligation to acknowledge that birth. They didn't come because they were expected, because most others had no idea that there was any reason for them to come. Rather, the magi came because they had watched the skies with rapt attention for signs of hope. Somehow they knew that a star they saw indicated the coming of a newborn king. They seemed to intuit that this future king was no ordinary child. 

When King Herod heard this,

he was greatly troubled, 

and all Jerusalem with him.

Those who recognized the coming of the Messiah from a distance found hope in the star they saw at its rising. Those who, like Herod, were much closer, were instead greatly troubled. For Herod a newborn king was nothing other than one more potential rival, one more potential threat to his own throne and his own power. 

The magi represent our best aspirations. As for them the ancient prophecies should stir hope in our hearts for what the coming of Jesus might mean for the world. We want to be Christians who continue to follow the guidance of our guardian angels and the Holy Spirit just as the magi followed the star, leading us to lay our own gifts at the feet of Jesus, to be used in his service. But we are too often like Herod, interpreting Jesus as a threat to our own throne, unwilling to relinquish the rigid control we maintain over our own hearts. As with Herod, there is no way to maintain this control without collateral damage. In order to stay safe from the claims of Jesus upon us we not only oppose Jesus himself, but anything or anyone that reminds us of him.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

May we be more like the magi, and find joy at the star that guides us to the Lord. Those who, like the magi, do not take Jesus for granted have much to teach us about how to dispose ourselves in worship. Others seemed to know where he would be born but couldn't seem to be bothered to actually go and search for him. But the magi were drawn to him by hope as though by a magnet. They found in him something more important than themselves, their thrones, or their wealth. They understood that neither pride nor riches were as important as the birth of a child. And they persisted in this belief even when he was not found in a palace or with obvious royal lineage. How easy it would have been to see the little town of Bethlehem, or the humble inn, or the impoverished Holy Family, and simply turn back, assuming all their efforts had been wasted. But just as they were not impressed by the palace of Herod so too were they undeterred by the condition in which they found the child. The joy they found in the star led them to the still greater joy of discovering Jesus and his mother. Their hopes were not disappointed, but fulfilled. They offered him worship, and opened their gifts before him. 

May we trust the guidance of God who has brought us to worship the divine child born in Bethlehem. We need to rely on faith and hope, not on appearances. The presence of Jesus in this world never appears to be on a comparable level of power or glory to that of the secular powers. But only in Jesus can we find what the magi found: true fulfillment and lasting peace.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

Tom Booth - We Three Kings

Chris Tomlin - O Little Town Of Bethlehem

4 January 2025 - to destroy the works of the Devil

Today's Readings

(Audio)

“Behold, the Lamb of God.”

John's mission was always to point beyond himself to the one who was to come. He was a voice that cried out so that people would be prepared for the coming of one who was greater than himself. But when this person arrived, how surprising it was that he was not identified primarily by his greatness, but rather as the Lamb of God. John had told his disciples of one whose sandals he was not worthy to untie. And John did consider Jesus to be this person, one greater than himself, who must increase while he decreased. He was one whom John would not have baptized if left to his own devices, since he did not feel himself worthy, nor Jesus in need. Yet here John defined Jesus as a Lamb. This did not point primarily to the honor or to the power of Jesus but rather to the nature of his mission as sacrifice. Insofar as it pointed to his character it revealed his meekness and humility. This seemed to be in tension with the powerful figure to which he had at other times referred.

The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,

“What are you looking for?”

They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),

“where are you staying?”

John demonstrated his willingness to decrease while Jesus increased by sending his own disciples to Jesus. After all, what was the point of John's ministry if not to do this? Yet how human it would have been for John to try to reinforce his own ministry rather than yield to the coming of Jesus. But there was never a sign of such selfishness. John only ever evinced humility and docility. Perhaps his own character helped his disciples appreciate a little more why God would send a Lamb when the world needed salvation. In any event his disciples seemed prepared to follow the Lamb once he was revealed. Maybe John's teaching extended even to what would be the sacrificial character of the mission of Jesus. However, although John's disciples were willing to follow the Lamb, they seemed unclear on exactly what that meant. They couldn't articulate exactly what they were seeking. Instead they merely asked to remain near Jesus so they could learn more.

He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying,

and they stayed with him that day.

They had been prepared by the one whose entire mission was to prepare people for Jesus. But they still needed their own encounter with him to make all the pieces fall into place for their own understanding. We do not know what happened while they remained with him, but we do know it led them to express faith in their own terms, not just reciting what they were taught: "We have found the Messiah". They not only confessed it but were obviously so excited about it that they couldn't help but invite others to share it. This was the nature of encounter, where faith became personal, and disciples became witnesses.

Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.

Jesus was the Lamb of God because his mission was to restore a world broken by sin and thus destroy the works of the Devil. The Devil had power and claim over the world insofar as the world was enslaved by sin (see Luke 4:5). And so the gift of the life of Jesus as sacrifice would atone for sin and open the possibility of true freedom in the life of the Spirit.

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (see John 8:32).

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (see John 8:36).

John the Evangelist wanted his readers to realize that freedom in Christ needed to be protected and cherished in order to be maintained. Christians would need to live from the power of the divine seed planted in their souls rather than allowing themselves to slip back into habits of sin. Even Christians could not sin without in some measure surrendering the freedom won for them by Christ. But even if Christians did commit sin Jesus would not abandon them. He instituted the sacrament of confession whereby he could, whenever necessary, "destroy the works of the Devil" in any penitent soul.

Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

his holy arm.

Graham Kendrick - For This Purpose

Newsboys - I Am Free (Who The Son Sets Free)

3 January 2025 - behold the lamb

Today's Readings

(Audio)

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

John the Baptist was preparing those who came to him to be ready to receive Jesus. Therefore he did not tell them to take note of his excellent preaching or wonder working. He did not apparently suggest that they ought to train as soldiers to enlist in his messianic army. Instead he pointed toward one who came to deal with the problem of sin, a problem John taught his followers to deeply desire to overcome by the ritual of his water baptism. In Jesus was, at last, the one who could take away the sin of the world. 

He is the one of whom I said,

'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me

because he existed before me.'

It made sense that Jesus could deal definitively with sin because of his divine nature. He was, as man, younger than John the Baptist, but, in virtue of his divinity John could say of him, "he existed before me". Yet the one of whom John said this was also, somehow, the "Lamb of God". He was the sacrifice that would finally accomplish what the blood of bulls and goats ultimately never could (see Hebrews 10:4). He was the one who would be led to the slaughter like a lamb, and who would not open his mouth as a sheep is silent in front of its shearers (see Isaiah 53:7), but who would thereby "make many to be accounted righteous" (see Isaiah 53:11).

I did not know him,

but the reason why I came baptizing with water

was that he might be made known to Israel."

John testified further, saying,

"I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky

and remain upon him.

Even John did not initially recognize all that God was doing in Jesus or understand all that God would accomplish through him. But the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism appeared to help John recognize in Jesus the preexistent Son of the Father, on whom the favor of the Father rested. It must have been difficult to understand how one person could be both divine and also the lamb of sacrifice. But on the other hand, if the lamb wasn't of such infinite value it was even more impossible to understand how it could actually address the problem of sin. If Jesus was merely a man who gave his life for his beliefs there was no reason to assume that one life could balance out the sin of the whole human race. But Jesus was not merely a man. Hence his offering of himself had the infinite value necessary to allow how to make baptism in the Holy Spirit available for the whole world. Thus Christian baptism was infused with the power to take away the sins of any who willingly allowed themselves to be touched by those living waters.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us

that we may be called the children of God.

Important as it was that Jesus dealt with the problem of sin it was nevertheless not his ultimate goal. What he desired to give us through his Holy Spirit was more than forgiveness. It was adoption as daughters and sons of the Father, making us partakers of the divine nature, able to share in his own relationship to him. Thus when Christians arise from baptism they hear words similar to those Jesus himself heard, as though the Father was saying of each one, 'Behold my beloved daughter or son with whom I am well pleased.'

Baptism is a great gift but it is not the end goal. Even after becoming God's children there is still a greater destiny for us that has not yet been revealed. The more pure our hearts become the more we will truly see God as he is and therefore become like him. This is meant to be a hope to motivate us to grow as Christians and to become more truly what we are in virtue of our baptism.

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Matt Maher - Behold The Lamb Of God

Matt Maher - Come To The Water

2 January 2025 - for he has done wondrous deeds

Today's Readings

(Audio)

This is the testimony of John. 

When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him

to ask him, “Who are you?”

he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,

“I am not the Christ.” 

John the Baptist was the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He moved in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the people for the day of the Lord. But he was always careful not to put the spotlight on himself. He insisted that he was not the Christ, not Elijah himself, and not a Prophet so that people did not place their hope in him, but rather in the one toward whom he would ultimately point. He was the friend of the bridegroom who understood that his mission was to decrease. He was a voice crying out that the way of the bridegroom would be made smooth. He was the one who would identify Jesus as the lamb of God when he appeared. 

John answered them,

“I baptize with water;

but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,

the one who is coming after me,

whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 

The baptism of John with water was something we might almost call a baptism of desire for the baptism which Jesus would eventually make available through his Spirit. In the water baptism of John there was no power of the Holy Spirit to take away sins, just an expression of the desire to be free from sins. In the very act a longing was expressed for what only Jesus could provide.

John was so close to the threshold of the new covenant that Jesus called him the greatest person outside of the Kingdom. But for that reason it was surprising or even shocking that Jesus, the Kingdom in human form, would come to John for baptism. After all, Jesus himself had no need of repentance. What did John really have to offer? But there was nowhere so appropriate as the place where the old covenant was closest to the new for the revelation and beginning of the new in the baptism of Jesus, with the word of the Father, and the descent of the Holy Spirit. In the place where the people most clearly expressed their thirst for the living water of God Jesus gave the water both life and power by the Holy Spirit.

We are called to hold on to the truth which John spent himself to help the world recognize. John the Evangelist, once a disciple of John the Baptist, explained that people would in fact try to deceive us in such a way as to make us forget or contradict what we heard from the beginning. But he explained that we need not succumb to that temptation because of the power of the anointing we have received from Jesus himself. Jesus taught that the Spirit he unleashed by his death and resurrection would lead his followers into all truth. But we need his Spirit not just to attain that truth for the first time or to make our initial confession that Jesus is Lord. We need his Spirit to hold on to the truth and remain undeceived. It is an active power that is meant to keep us safe from deception in a world where disinformation and misinformation abound. We need to remain undeceived, not just so that we can pass an arbitrary test about the content of the deposit of faith. We need to remain undeceived so that we can remain in right relationship with the one who is himself the truth. We are called to remain in him and he in us. Only in this way can with live with confidence, ready to welcome him at his coming.

Songs In His Presence - His Name Shall Be Called

1 January 2025 - pondering them in her heart

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Although the shepherds were of low status in society they were privileged to be among the first to hear the announcement of the birth of the savior. But what an announcement it was. It was clearly authentic based on the glory of the angels that appeared. But what kind of Messiah would be found lying in a manager? What sort of Lord would this be, who was to be welcomed by shepherds, and in such a condition as would not seem to befit a savior, Messiah, and Lord?

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,  

and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this,  

they made known the message  

that had been told them about this child.

We can see that the shepherds did not overanalyze what they had been told. They didn't simply assume it was all too strange and stay at home. Perhaps the lowliness of the child in the manager made them sufficiently bold as to visit him. We might imagine that if Jesus was born in palace as the obvious son of a king that shepherds might not dare to approach him. But born to poor parents and lying in a manger he was infinitely approachable. His presence did not drive them away in intimidation or fear but rather was such that they came in haste. 

All who heard it were amazed  

by what had been told them by the shepherds.

The shepherds never seemed to stop to consider how implausible what they had experienced had been. They were too certain of the truth of it, and too excited by the prospects for them, their nation, and the world, to keep it to themselves. We wonder if others who heard it from them might have thought them a little crazy. And again, we might wonder at the wisdom of God who chose messengers such as these to announce and explain his incarnation. But this was an example of how, "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (see First Corinthians 1:25).

And Mary kept all these things,  

reflecting on them in her heart.

The incarnation was simply so contrary to what anyone would expect that it required an open heart in order to understand it and to not be scandalized by it. This was perfectly demonstrated by Mary. She had to remain open as God revealed more of what her child was and would be. She had to continue to give her fiat as the his mission took shape. And she did so. We might expect a parent who knew her child was the Messiah would severely restrict those who might see him, whether for the sake of his dignity or that of his safety. A palace-born heir to a secular throne would likely never encounter shepherds at such close proximity. But Mary and Joseph did not keep Jesus isolated from questionable characters on the fringes of society. They seemed to see that their child was somehow meant to be for the whole world. They were already flowing with God's plan as they came to understand it. And so they welcomed those who came to him, whether shepherds or wise men. 

From his Father Jesus received his divinity. But from Mary his mother he received a complete human nature. She was the one from whom his humanity was derived and so it was fitting that it was in some way her mission to aid in his contact with the full scope of the human race. Already she was in some way a mediator, not because of anything she was of herself, but because of what she had become in virtue of the divine gift of her Son. She helped shepherds, wise men, Simeon, and people at the wedding at Cana among others, to draw near to her Son. And she has continued to be about this business throughout history, such as at Lourdes, Fatima, and Guadalupe. We too are invited to come to her and discover again, as if for the first time, both the warmth and the strangeness of a king born poor and marginalized. We still sense that some of his own followers would have preferred something more obviously glorious and imposing for a Messiah whom they were to worship. But, as we said, Jesus arrived in such a way that accepting him would require open hearts. To open our hearts to Jesus means embracing in him all whom he embraces, the poor, the weak, and those who count for nothing in the eyes of the world. In order to accept Jesus and to keep accepting him and his desire to be present in our lives we need to keep our hearts open as Mary did. And today in particular we can turn to Mary herself to help us to do this. She did it first and knows how it is done, and she, like the shepherds who came to her, delights to make her son known to us.

Damascus Worship Featuring Seph Schlueter - Hail O Queen

Chris Tomlin - Angels We Have Heard On High