The Collect
ALMIGHTY God, who hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word; Grant that the same light enkindled in our hearts may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle (Isaiah lxi. 1)
THE Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
The Gospel (St. Matthew ii. 19)
WHEN Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Christmas II - Sermon message in a minute
The Christ Child and His family had no home of their own at this time in their life; so in their honour at this season, perhaps we can invite someone in and give them a home and a family for a few hours at an important occasion. Indeed all will be the richer for it in ways that endure meaningfully.
At Christmas in a special way the coming of Christian light reveals the darkness and evil that are in some people, and just what they will do to carry out their wicked intentions -- but the darkness does not conquer it. "The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it."
When we open our lives to that light which comes into the world through Christ, some of it will shine through us into the lives of others.
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