The Seventh Day of the Octave of Christmas Gospel: John 1:1-18 Christ, the Incarnate Divine Word of God
We often have the opportunity to hear everything God proclaims to us through His servants—namely, all about the Kingdom of Heaven, as revealed by our Lord Christ, the Divine Word of God, who came down from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit and assumed flesh from the womb of the Virgin Mary.
St. John the Apostle, one of Jesus’ most beloved disciples, summarized the life of Jesus in words both profoundly deep and beautifully simple.
St. John tells us: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (cf. John 1:1-5). This reminds us of that beautiful account in Genesis: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty; darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day (cf. Genesis 1:1-5). Thus, we are invited to contemplate God’s profound love for humanity.
Before following Jesus, St. John the Apostle had been a disciple of John the Baptist. Hence, he writes: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness to the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light but came to bear witness to the Light (cf. John 1:6-8). Through this, we are invited to imitate the virtue of St. John the Baptist—always humble, courageously bearing witness to the truth.
St. John also tells us: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (cf. John 1:14). This reveals to us that the Divine Word, long awaited by the world, in accordance with His holy will, chose to assume flesh from the Blessed and Most Holy Virgin, appearing among us in the fragile form of a child. In this way, He draws near to us, bestowing upon us His abundant love.
Dear brothers and sisters! The Savior has become incarnate and dwells among us, filling us with unspeakable joy. He desires to reveal to us the redemptive plan of the Father who sent Him. We, too, are called to be Christians—let us share this same joy with everyone, so that the joy of the Savior’s incarnation may fill the world.
Sixth Day of the Octave of Christmas Gospel: Luke 2:36-40 The Canticle of Anne
In daily life, we often experience setbacks brought by life, just like St. Anne did. When faced with the setbacks brought by the prince of this world and his messengers, as well as the pain caused by life, we often fall into despair. Immersed in such emotions, we frequently choose to distance ourselves from God of our own accord.
The prophetess Anna, after seven years of married life with her husband and becoming a widow upon his death (cf. Lk 2:36-37), did not lose faith in God. Instead, through rigorous penance and constant prayer, she quietly awaited the coming of the Messiah (cf. Lk 2:38). When the Blessed Virgin Mary and her spouse, Saint Joseph, brought Jesus to the Temple to present Him to God in accordance with the Law of Moses, she immediately approached to praise God. She proclaimed to all who were hoping for the redemption of Jerusalem the good news that Jesus Christ—the Messiah—had come into the world. In this way, she set an example for us.
Today, let us imitate the prophetess Anna. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, may we discern the holy will of God, courageously proclaim to the world the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ, praise the Lord for all the good He has done for us, and respond worthily to His holy will. Thus, each of us may become a source of blessing for others on their journey toward God.
The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas Or Optional Memorial of Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr Gospel: Luke 2:22-35 The Holy Family Observing the Law: The Canticle of Simeon
If we carefully examine the Scriptures, we find that in the Book of the Law of Moses, it is written: “If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be unclean for seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. On the eighth day, the flesh of the boy’s foreskin shall be circumcised.” Likewise, the same book of the Law states: “When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering. But if she cannot afford a lamb, she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.” (Cf. Leviticus 12:1-4, 6, 8)
Today, the Holy Family of Nazareth, in accordance with the Law of Moses, offered to God a simple and humble gift (cf. Luke 2:21-24), setting for us an example of humility and conformity to God’s will. Therefore, in our own lives, we must always remain humble and, like Abraham, be ever ready to fulfill God’s holy will.
In the time of Jesus, there were many people like Simeon who lived under Roman rule, suffering in a world of hardship and turmoil. They longed intensely for a political savior to deliver them from their circumstances. Thus, when Simeon, moved by the Holy Spirit, beheld the salvation God had prepared for Israel, he could not help but praise God. To this day, the universal Church chants this beautiful Canticle of Simeon (cf. Luke 2:28-32) each day in the Liturgy of the Hours. Similarly, in our present world, many people suffer greatly due to sin or the pressures of life, enduring the pains inflicted by this world. By nature, they share our longing for deliverance from present sufferings. Simeon, embracing the incarnate Christ in his arms and praising the God of Israel in the manner he deemed fitting, sets for us a model of praising God in all circumstances.
Today, let us follow the example of Jesus’ parents in faithfully observing God’s law, and imitate the example of Simeon by blessing God in all things. Amen.
全属于祢 
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