Reading 1
1 Jn 1:5—2:2
Beloved:
This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ
and proclaim to you:
God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
If we say, “We have fellowship with him,”
while we continue to walk in darkness,
we lie and do not act in truth.
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,
then we have fellowship with one another,
and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
If we say, “We are without sin,”
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.
My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
Gospel
Mt 2:13-18
When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.
Meditation: Matthew 2:13-18
The Holy Innocents
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. (Matthew 2:13)
God wants to speak to us. He really wants to speak to us. After all, he created us with a spiritual soul capable of having a personal relationship with him. That’s something he gave to no other being on earth. He fashioned us so that we can be intimately connected to him, sharing our hearts and minds with him, even as he gives us a share in his own heart and mind.
Now, most of us are pretty good at letting God know what we’re thinking and feeling, but how many of us hear from him in return?
God is always working, always speaking—not in extraordinary ways like the loud voice heard at the transfiguration. No, more often his voice comes as a thought that rises up, unprompted, in our minds—perhaps a thought to pray for someone else or a sudden new insight about God’s love. Some people wake up in the morning with a hymn or praise song running though their minds. That too can be God’s voice.
God might even give you senses in your dreams, just as he gave Joseph. Joseph tested them, experimented with them, and learned from them. It was through a dream that Joseph was reassured about marrying Mary. It was also because of a dream that Joseph awoke in the night, took Mary and the infant Jesus, and fled to Egypt. He took the sense of that dream seriously and acted immediately. As a result, Jesus was protected from Herod’s murderous rage, and God’s plan could move forward.
Of course, Joseph had other ways of hearing God: the promptings of his conscience, the guidance of the Hebrew Scriptures, and the advice of a trusted rabbi. And so do we. But Joseph was also open to the less usual ways. We can be, too. Ask God to speak to you. Give him the freedom to speak any way he chooses. Simply be open to the possibility of hearing from the Creator of the universe. It’s exciting, and if you ask, he will not refuse.
“Father, I believe you are always working and always speaking. Please help me to recognize your voice. Teach me how to open my heart and my mind to you. Speak, Lord, and I will listen.”
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