Sunday, January 10, 2016

FIFTH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE EPIPHANY

                 January 10   
   Fifth day within the Octave of the Epiphany

On the Gospel of the Sunday within the Octave, of the Epiphany  
By Richard Challoner

Consider, first, that Jesus, Mary and Joseph went every year up to Jerusalem to the temple of God upon the solemn festivals, notwithstanding their poverty, and their distance of three days journey from Jerusalem. There they employed the weeks appointed for the feasts, in assisting at the public worship, praises, and sacrifices, which were offered to God in the temple at those times. Christians, learn from this great example, the diligence with which you ought to assist at the public worship of God upon festivals. Learn not to suffer every trifling difficulty to hinder your attendance in God's temple; on those days when neither the length nor the charges, either of the journey, or of the stay they were to make in Jerusalem, could keep this holy family from a constant observance of these times dedicated to God.
O who can worthily apprehend the dispositions of soul, with which they entered upon these journeys; their recollection on the road, their heavenly conversation in Jerusalem; their profound adoration, their inflamed love, their fervent prayer and devotion in the temple! Let us strive to imitate them.
     Consider, how when Jesus was twelve years old, and they had gone up according to their custom, to keep the solemn feast of the Pasch in Jerusalem, after the days of the solemnity were fulfilled, when they returned our Saviour withdrew himself from them, and stayed behind them in the city. They innocently thinking him to be in the company, went one day's journey homewards without him, and then not finding him, were struck with unspeakable grief and concern for their loss: the more, because they apprehended, lest by some fault of theirs they might have driven him away from them. Ah! what anguish must it be to a soul, that is sensible of the treasure she possesses, when she has Jesus with her, to find that he has withdrawn himself from her, and that she has lost her treasure? But how much more must this blessed couple have regretted the loss of their Jesus; whose love for him was much greater than can be expressed or imagined! For in proportion to their love, their sorrow also must have been beyond expression great. Learn from hence, my soul, what value thou oughtest to set upon the happiness of having Jesus with thee; and how much thou oughtest to regret the loss of him.
     Consider 3rdly, that although the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph had lost their Jesus, as to the sensible presence; yet they had not lost him, as to the presence of his grace and love; they had him still very near to them, because they had him in their hearts. A lesson for Christians of good-will, not to be discouraged, not to give themselves up to excessive anguish, if sometimes they experience the like subtractions of the sensible presence of our Lord, by a dryness in their devotions, and a spiritual desolation: let them but take care to keep their heart and will with him; and they may be assured he is not far from them. He has often dealt thus with the greatest Saints; and to their advantage too: to keep them more humble, and distrustful of themselves; and to teach them not to seek their own satisfaction, in the milk of spiritual consolations, but to be content to feed their souls with the more solid diet of conformity to the will of God, and to the cross of Christ.
     Conclude to take care not to drive away Jesus by willful sin: and he assured that nothing else can ever separate him from thee.

ROMAN BREVIARY – MATINS
Lessons 4, 5, 6
The Lesson is taken from the Sermons of Pope St. Leo the Great
(5th on the Epiphany)

It is meet and right, dearly beloved brethren, yea, it is our bounden duty and godly service, to rejoice with full hearts upon those days which more especially set forth before us the workings of God's mercy; and to have in honourable memory those things that were done for our salvation. Hereto are we called by the seasons of the year which continually return, and notably by this present, which, after but a short time hath passed since that day whereon the Co-eternal Son of God was born of a Virgin, bringeth now the Feast of the Epiphany, hallowed by the Manifestation of the Lord.
     In this said Manifestation the good Providence of God hath a pointed a strong bulwark to our faith. For now, while in solemn worship we call to mind how the childhood of the Saviour was adored in its first infancy, we receive from the original Scriptures the doctrine that Christ was born with the very nature of man. For this is that which maketh of sinners saints, even to believe that in one and the same our Lord JESUS Christ there is very God head and very Manhood—very Godhead, as touching Which, He, being in the form of God, is equal to the Father from everlasting to everlasting—and very Manhood, wherein He, taking upon Him the form of a servant, hath in these latter days been born Man.
     For the strengthening of this our faith, which we profess in the face of every false doctrine, the mercy of God hath made it to come to pass that one of those peoples who dwell in the uttermost arts of the East, and excel in the skill of reading the stars, should see the sign of the birth of that Child Who was to reign over all Israel. There appeared to the eyes of wise men a new star of such passing beauty, as wrought in the minds of all that saw it the persuasion that the event, which it announced, was of an importance not to be neglected.


Homily by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
(Bk. ii. on Luke ii.)
Lessons 7, 8, 9

We read that when He was twelve years old the Lord began to dispute. The number of His years was the same as the number of the Apostles whom He afterwards sent forth to preach the Faith. He Who, as touching His Manhood, was filled with wisdom and grace from God, was not careless of the parents of the same Manhood, and, after three days, was pleased to be found in the Temple: thereby foreshadowing that, after the three days of His victorious Passion, He That had been reckoned with the dead, would present Himself, living, to our faith, in His heavenly Kingship and Divine Majesty.
     “How is it that ye sought Me?” Christ hath two Generations; one from His Father, another from His Mother. That from His Father is His Eternal Generation as God the Son; that from His Mother is that whereby He came to work for us and minister to us. Those acts, therefore, of His, which are above nature, beyond His age, and different to His custom, proceeded not from the strength of His Manhood, but from the power of His Godhead. On another occasion His Mother moveth Him to work a miracle; here He answereth her, because she treateth that which was of the Godhead, as though it had been of the Manhood. On this occasion it is said that he was twelve years old, but on the other He had already disciples. His mother had seen His wonders on the earlier occasion, and had learnt from her Son to call on the mightier nature for a work of power.
   “And He came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." No wonder that the great Teacher should practise. And shall we marvel how He was subject to His Mother, was about His Father’s business? His subjection to His Mother proceeded, not from weakness but from dutiful affection. Nevertheless, the false serpent lifteth its head from its cruel lair, and spitteth poison from its venomous breast. The heretics say that, as the Son was sent by the Father, therefore the Father is greater than the Son, and, if the Father be greater than the Son, there is that, than which the Son is less; yea, that He Who is sent, hath of necessity, need of some strengthening from outside Himself. He was subject to His Mother? Was He less than she? God forbid! 





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