Themes of Faith from Sunday, January 3

Prayer Intention for the Second Sunday of Christmas

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives;

From the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians (3:17-19a)

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe ...

Quote from Saint Athanasius

When He became man, the Savior's love put away death from us and renewed us again; for Christ became man that we might become [like him].

A Hymn of the Season
performed by the Sacrum Chamber Choir




From the Gospel of Saint Matthew (2:11-12)

On entering the house, [the wise men] saw the child [Jesus] with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Quote from Rebecca Solnit, a Californian essayist

Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with ... To hope is to give yourself to the future – and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.