Break Open the Word

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ I Isaiah 9:2-7 Psalm 96 Titus 2:11-14 Saint Luke 2:1-20                                                                                         The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem BACKGROUND Modern Christmas is almost Gordian knot of pagan, Christian, secular, national, and economic rites, symbols, and ceremonies that have been thrown together over time.  It is not one of the earliest dates in the Christian liturgical year, probably only dating from the mid fourth century.  The influence of the pagan celebrat...

The Fourth Sunday in Advent Isaiah 7:10-16 Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 Romans 1:1-7 Saint Mathew 1:18-25 BACKGROUND St. Matthew’s Birth Narrative - The Gospels of Mark and John aren’t interested in the birth of Jesus.  Mark begins his Gospel with the Baptism, and John retrojects the “birth” of Jesus (as the Word) to the beginning of time, as he uses the Creation story as a model for telling the story of Jesus.  Matthew and Luke, however, both have elaborate narratives that strive to develop a context for Jesus, and his appearing.  Both wish to tie their narratives to the stories of Israel, and both use genealogies to initiate their claim.  Of the two, Luke’s is the most familiar, while the Matthean version is less well known, with the exception of the visit of the magi.  Both of these narratives use archetypes from the Hebrew Scriptures to paint a background for Jesus and the beginning of his ministry.  Matthew uses two tales to grant context and meaning to his ...

The Third Sunday in Advent Isaiah 35:1-10 Canticle 15: The Magnificat James 5:7-10 Saint Mathew 11:2-11                                                                                      St. John the Baptist - Rodin BACKGROUND John the Baptist – is cast in the guise of a prophet in the Birth Narratives in Matthew and Luke.   As such he is identified with prophets from the Hebrew Scriptures, most especially Elijah.   Passages from Malachi (3:1) speak of a messenger, “he will prepare the way before me”,   and (4:5) “I will send you Elijah the prophet”.   Matthew 17:11-13 makes the association with Elijah perfectly clear, “To be sure, Elijah comes…Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Bapti...