The Monday after the Sunday within the Octave of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
Posted on December 30, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 2:13-18 (NKJV)
2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Devotion
Abraham was called by the Lord out of the land of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan. The wise men also came from the land of the Chaldeans into the land of Canaan. They had heard the prophecies of a Messiah who would come to redeem people from their sins, and had seen the Child’s star in the East. For this reason, they had come to worship the newborn King. They found Him in the city of King David, in Bethlehem, born to St. Mary and St. Joseph.
St. Joseph is told in a dream to flee into Egypt by an angel. This fulfills the prophecy of Hosea (11:1), that the Lord’s Son would be called out of Egypt. Jesus would follow in the footsteps of His ancestors. Jacob and His family would flee the land of Canaan to go down into Egypt to be fed and find protection.
In both the coming of the wise men and the flight into Egypt, we see connections to the past. The Israelites were exiled to Babylon, and were slaves in Egypt. We see in this our Lord’s grace, for out of the land of exile comes those who heard the prophecies of a Messiah and believed them. That the Lord goes into Egypt not as a destroyer, but to find protection, shows that He desires the hope of salvation to be proclaimed to all peoples.
Collect: Almighty and Everlasting God, direct our actions according to Thy good pleasure, that in the Name of Thy beloved Son, we may be made to abound in good works; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the new Birth of Thine Only-Begotten Son in the flesh may set us free who are held in the old bondage under the yoke of sin; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
