January 3, 2013

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Christmas Weekday

On the tenth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...ten lord's a leaping.

The ten lords represent the Ten Commandments.  Lord's are Masters who must be obeyed.  We must obey and keep the Ten Commandments and never deviate from them.  

Revelation 22:14-15King James Version (KJV)14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Lectionary: 206

Reading 1 from the 1st letter of St. John

1 Jn 2:29–3:61

If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness
is begotten by him.

Children follow the example of their parents. All children of God do the works of God.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.

Although we are not worthy of being called His Children, God loves us so much, that He has made us His children.

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

And because He loves us, we must do our best to love His children also.  And to be perfect, as He is perfect.

Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,
for sin is lawlessness.
You know that he was revealed to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin.
No one who remains in him sins;
no one who sins has seen him or known him.

If we love Him, we hate sin and do our best to avoid sin.  And if we avoid sin, we remain in Him. 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6

R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

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

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

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

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

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

Jesus Christ is the salvation of our Lord.  God came in the flesh and made a new and better Covenant with His people.  Consummating the first one and fulfilling it:

Hebrews 9:15-20
King James Version (KJV)
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John
Jn 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.  This is why He said in John 6:

John 6:54
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Because He is our Passover.

He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”

The Baptist explains that he is the Precursor who was to come before the Messiah to prepare the people for His arrival.

John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

This answers my question.  Although St. John the Baptist is Jesus cousin.  He never before met Him.  Apparently, their meeting when they were in their mothers' wombs.

Sincerely,

De Maria