December 31, 2012

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

On the seventh day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...seven swans a swimming.  The seven swans a swimming represent the Seven Sacraments.  The Sacraments are outpourings of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is referred to as "Living Water".  Those who submit to and believe in the Seven Sacraments of Jesus Christ are swimming in the Living Water which He gives us.

The seven swans a swimming could also represent the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Again, because the Holy Spirit is represented by Living Water, then those who exercise the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit which we receive in Baptism, are swimming in the Fountain of Grace which Jesus Christ provided.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations. (CCC, 1831)

Lectionary: 204

Reading 1 from the first letter of St. John
1 Jn 2:18-21

Children, it is the last hour;
and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,
so now many antichrists have appeared.

St. John warns the Church that it is time to repent.  And that they need to be aware that some people are preaching against and actively opposing the Will of God.

Thus we know this is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;
if they had been, they would have remained with us.

This has been confirmed throughout history.  Our greatest opponents have come from our own families:

Matthew 10:36
King James Version (KJV)
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number.

St. John seems to be saying that the reason they deserted is because they didn't really give themselves completely over to the faith of Jesus Christ.  This, I think, is confirmed in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:14-23).

But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,
and you all have knowledge.

The anointing that comes from the Holy One is Baptism, which is the washing of the Holy Spirit.
Since, those who seek Baptism, must first be converted by the preaching of the Church and thus taught that which God commanded, therefore, he says that the Baptized, the anointed of God, have the knowledge of God and His saving plan.

I write to you not because you do not know the truth
but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.

The Truth that Jesus Christ is Lord. And knowing Christ, we reject sin.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 96:1-2, 11-12, 13

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Amen!  God has done something new upon the world:

Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 

Let us rejoice and be glad!

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John
Jn 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.

The Word is Jesus.
The Holy Trinity is God.
Jesus, the Word of God, is God in the unity of God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

He was in the beginning with God.All things came to be through him,and without him nothing came to be.

All things were made by Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16

King James Version (KJV)
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

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.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world and even His death did not overcome Him:

1 Corinthians 15:54-55
King James Version (KJV)
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

God sent Elijah as He promised:

Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

St. John the Baptist is Elijah:

Matthew 11:13-15
King James Version (KJV)
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

The Jews rejected Christ.  The Jews, the People of God, rejected God in the flesh.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man's decision
but of God.

Those who are born again of the Spirit, love God.

And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father's only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the Word made flesh.  The very image of God the Father.

John testified to him and cried out, saying,
"This was he of whom I said,
'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.'"
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father's side,
has revealed him.

And St. John testified of the coming of the Great Prophet, the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Sincerely,

De Maria