9781644135945

The Christmas Cycle
True Christianity produces honorable men, men of solid virtue. It promotes honest self-denial,
propriety, independence, courage, valor, truth, and an abiding sense of peace. These are all
too often forgotten virtues.
Prayer
O God, who in creating human nature didst marvelously ennoble it, and hast still more marvelously
renewed it; grant that by the mystery of this water and wine, we may be made partakers
of His divinity, who vouchsafed to become partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ, Thy Son
our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God world
without end. Amen.
Saturday
The miracle of Cana is an epiphany, a manifestation of the miraculous power of the Savior, and
it is also a revelation of His divine love for man.
The Lord attends the wedding of simple, humble people. He wishes to honor and please them; He
likes to be with the humble. It happened that the supply of wine did not suffice for the wedding
celebration, which in Palestine lasts for several days. By a miracle of His power the Savior comes
to the assistance of the embarrassed bridegroom. But the miracle of power has its foundation in
Christ’s love, in His sympathy with these poor people who are in need. We are told that He went
about “doing good” (Acts 10:38). He is the incarnate divine mercy, the love descended from
heaven. His love is not confined to a small circle of the faithful; it embraces the whole world.
He rejoices when we rejoice, He suffers when we suffer, He unites Himself to us in all things.
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” ( Jn 15:12). How
does He love us? In the manger, on Olivet, on the cross, in the tabernacle, in Holy Communion.
He “loved them unto the end” ( Jn 13:1), until His last drop of blood had been shed. Thus
He loves men who so often offend Him and forget what He has done for them. Yet He prays:
“Father, forgive them” (Lk 23:34). We should love Him as He has loved us. He has made our
love of neighbor a sure sign of our being His disciples ( Jn 13:35). This is the “new commandment”
He has given us. I must be a manifestation, a revelation of His love for others; I must offer
myself for the brethren in Christ as He offered Himself for me. I must forgive as He forgave;
I must pray and sacrifice and be zealous as He was for the salvation of others. Thus I shall win
grace for my neighbor and inherit heaven with Him. That is His “new commandment.”
The Epistle speaks emphatically of this epiphany of love. “Loving one another with the charity
of brotherhood, . . . bless them that persecute you, . . . being of one mind, one towards another”
(Epistle). True Christian life is enduring, patient, indefatigable, forgiving, peaceful, loving toward
enemies as well as friends. “A new commandment I give unto you” ( Jn 13:34), who have been
established in Me by My spirit and My strength.
Standing in partnership, joined to one another, for one another, and with one another,
we approach the altar. Christ our high priest, our head, leads; with Him the family
of God in heaven and on earth, all together with one heart and one soul, one in faith and
desires, comes to praise, thank, petition, sacrifice, and atone, to ask for light and grace.
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