News and reflections

Today’s reflection is part of the virtual pilgrimage to St David’s Cathedral, the second instalment of the Church in Wales Lent course ‘From Pancakes to Palm Crosses’. For its full content, or the entire course, please go to churchinwales.org.uk where further details are to be found in the evangelism section.

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Jesus, in today’s Gospel Matthew 16:24-27.

Gwnewch y pethau by chain mewn bywyd – Do the little things in life. A Welsh maxim based on the words of St David.

For centuries, pilgrims have been coming to St David’s Cathedral on the western coast of Pembrokeshire in their thousands. Here, Dewi Sant, St David, founded a house of prayer for his community of monks, and this holy place continues to inspire and renew those who come today.

David’s final words have become a popular phrase in Wales: “Be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things you have seen in me.” They are words to live by as we consider: what gives us joy? What makes our hearts sing? What’s the root of the faith that guides and shapes our lives, however we express this? What are the things we do to make a difference to those around us – those we meet and more widely? All of this can be wrapped up in thanksgiving as we make each day a moment to praise and reinforce the joy in our hearts.

Some people seem to have a capacity to travel light, some of us need to take the kitchen sink with us when we go on a journey. At the site of the shrine of David, there is a connection with those who have gone this way before us, needing far less than we might weigh ourselves down with, and finding here a treasure beyond possessions. At first sight, being asked to take up our cross and follow Jesus does not look like travelling light, it sounds rather heavy. It’s an image that recognises we have a cross to bear, be that an injury of mind or body, worries or concerns, a trial or struggle ahead, something we might find difficult or very costly. Life brings cost. The invitation is to pick these up and follow Jesus, to give our whole selves over to God in faith and trust.

Such self-giving and self-returning delights in knowing that our lives belong to God, from whom they come and to whom they return. Our ultimate fate lies with God. It can be easy to give up or despair, especially if the going is tough. There are no gadgets or special kit to make the journey of life easier. The persistence required to keep going comes from a heart that desires all that God has to give and seeks it out. As is so often the case, though, seeking God is really a process of being found by God, who is always waiting for us to show up as we are with our cross in tow. Persistence in the pilgrim’s way is a journey of the heart into knowing and being known by God who comes among us in Jesus Christ, and calls us to follow him with joy, faith, and the little things. Our lives belong to God, so perhaps the cross is not really so heavy after all?

The chimney sweep came last week and reminded me that, so long as only wood is burned, the ashes from the stove can be scattered on the garden due to the potash and other elements that can be good for the soil or a compost heap. That’s also one of the hopeful signs of Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent when the sign of the cross is made on the forehead using ashes from last year’s palm crosses. Lent is a traditional time of fasting, prayer and almsgiving, when the words ‘dust you are and to dust you shall return’ remind us of the need for repentance and renewal as well as the mortality faced in our own lives and the world in which we live. One day we, too, will return to the good earth whence we came, in burial whether of a body or its ashes, if in a churchyard – although the scattering of ashes is possible in other locations. 

That’s not easy to think of but it’s important to take stock of time and our use of it and, in token of this, people sometimes put a rose in the place where ashes of cremated remains have been interred in the hope of it growing into a living tribute to a loved one. However, the high temperatures needed to cremate a body mean that nothing organic is left to sustain the plant and so more earth needs to be added between the ashes and the roots as it will otherwise scorch and possibly kill the rose. Some people don’t know that and so the plant may not flourish. Ash can fertilise but it can also harm – it depends on its origins and application. 

That’s why the sign of the cross made in ash is so potent. It’s a symbol and reminder that, although Lent leads to Good Friday and the terrible crucifixion of Jesus, it also leads on beyond that to resurrection and new life because sin and death did not have the last word. Like the empty cross symbolising Easter Day, new life can spring from the ashes of broken dreams and failed hopes. As we are marked with that same sign, may the ash be a symbol, like potash, that can nurture and sustain the new life that is to be and not a sign of the sterility of cremated ashes that can’t. We may be caught up in the mess and dirt of life but God meets us with hope in the wilderness that our lives can sometimes become. His grace and transforming love can turn the ashing into the stuff of new life and the ashen cross can become not only a mark of penitence but also a sign of hope of what God has done through Jesus and is still able to do in our lives – no matter how messy things seem. And so may Lent bring blessings and renewal as well as penitence and temptations as it begins today.

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian.

“This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him.” Matthew 17:1-9.

“No one lives “on Tabor” while on earth.” Pope Benedict. 

Transfiguration Sunday is a pivotal point between the end of Epiphanytide and the start of Lent, Holy Week and Easter. There are links with what happened in the Book of Exodus when a cloud fell on Mount Sinai and the glory of the Lord appeared like a fire as the Law was given to Moses and his face had to be veiled as it shone so brightly. The Transfiguration is thought to have happened on Mount Tabor in Lower Galilee with the three disciples  Peter, James and John as witnesses according to Jewish tradition. As this happens, Matthew writes that Jesus’ face shines like the sun as his clothes became dazzlingly white – the disciples seem to cope astonishingly well with this and even the appearance of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, who are talking with Jesus. What were they saying?! 

Peter suggests making three booths to mark what is happening, making Moses and Elijah as important as Jesus, but he misunderstands – Jesus is not one of three, rather the One awaited. As Peter says this, a bright light overshadows them and words heard during Jesus’ baptism are echoed with the addition of the voice telling his followers to listen to him. It’s this voice, urging attention to be given to Jesus’ identity and words, that seems to make the disciples fearful and they fall to the ground, to be reassured by Jesus himself. As this astonishing experience ends, he is concerned for them rather than himself as he touches the disciples to reassure them that he is still with them and tells them to get up – meaning to be raised up, just as Jesus will later be raised up at his resurrection. As he tells them not to be afraid and orders them not to speak of this until then, the disciples must have later borne witness to this happening as Matthew, Mark and Luke all write of the Transfiguration although they were not actually present. 

The Transfiguration affirms Jesus’ identity for himself and the three disciples at a time of preparation for all that lies ahead. They all then descend from this glorious mountain top experience into the valley, crowds, suffering and questions that await them. As Pope Benedict’s words remind us, we also have to face challenging and sometimes painful reality as well as glory in our daily lives. 

“Listen to him” said the voice that was heard by the disciples at the Transfiguration and as Lent approaches, perhaps more time could be spent in listening to Jesus through Scripture, prayer and the events in life that can sometimes threaten to disfigure humanity and faith. At times when we, or others, may be downcast or petrified in the face of what is happening, Jesus can still reach out to us with healing and hope when time is made for this to happen, raising us up to new life as his words speak to us and our situations today as to his witnesses then: “Get up and do not be afraid.”

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian.

As the Guardian is having treatment which temporarily blurs vision, today’s reflection is an excerpt from a sermon by Revd. Mandy Ralph which is published online by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Please see https://ctbi.org.uk/ for her entire sermon as well as further reflections, prayers and resources in connection with Racial Justice Sunday 2026.

LOVING OUR NEIGHBOUR – REVD MANDY RALPH 

Jesus teaches us that loving God with our whole being and loving our neighbours as ourselves are the two most important principles for Christian living. They are core to following in faith and being in relationship with God.

Surely that seems simple enough. Love. There is no complicated jargon, no pages of guidance, no risk assessment required. Just a command – or, if you prefer, a request – to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. But hold on – is that my next-door neighbour, the neighbours that I get on with, the ones who think like me, worship like me? Or is it the neighbours who look different, talk differently, whose culture is different from mine? Is it the difficult ones, those who have different points of view from me and who are, to be honest, quite irritating? Jesus tells us that is a resounding YES!

As Christians, we are asked to love all our neighbours, irrespective of who they are. Yes, that does mean even the ones who can try our patience! If we stop to think about it, we are first asked to love God with all our heart, mind, body and strength – all in, no exceptions. When it comes to loving our neighbours, it’s the same thing – it is all of them, all in, no exceptions. That is what Jesus asks of us when we are in relationship with God. Loving God and loving our neighbour are intertwined, and so, in faith, we cannot do one without the other.

But do we love all our neighbours? Can we, hand on heart, honestly say we love our neighbours? The protests about immigration that have taken place across the country, shown on TV, shared on social media over the past few months – the rhetoric, the language, the posts, the actions of others: these are a far cry from loving our neighbour. 

Protests against immigration, asylum seekers, those with cultural backgrounds different from our own; people of colour, who are not deemed or no longer deemed to be our neighbour. The spread of misinformation, fear mongering, persecution and hate. That does not equate to loving our neighbour.

If we have given our all to God, profess our faith to be Christian and undertake to walk in the ways of Jesus, then that means loving all our neighbours, not being hateful and abusive towards them. I am a Black, female, now disabled minister who, when told to ‘Go back home,’ responds, ‘Well, that would be Glasgow,’ as I was born and brought up in Scotland. I am Scottish. Probably not the expected response, but I should not have to prove I am your neighbour. No one should have to do that. We are all made in the image of God and are all part of the family of God. 

Our faith asks us to be loving to God and to each other. We are not asked to be perfect, for none of us is, but to be willing to follow in faith. 

Today we remember the three airmen killed on this day in 1944 when their Grumman Avenger Mk.I FN821 of No. 848 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy, crashed on Trum y Fawnog near Llangynog.

William Seddon Appleby, Sub Lieutenant, RNZNVR, Pilot 

Ernest Hartley Green, Sub Lieutenant (A), RNVR, Passenger (Pilot) 

Joe Lupton, Sub Lieutenant (A), RNVR, Observer 

who were all killed when their Grumman Avenger Mk.I FN821 / 4K of No.848 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy, crashed on Trum y Fawnog near Llangynog on the 3rd February 1944. 

The aircraft is reported to have been on a transit flight from Gosport to Kirkwall via Machrihanish at the time of its loss. The pilot, Sub Lieutenant Appleby, was assigned to HMS Landrail at Machrihanish while the other two crew were assigned to HMS Robin at Kirkwall. 

While over the southern most end of the Berwyn mountains near the village of Llangynog the aircraft dived out of a snow shower into open moorland at Cerrig Trwsgl on the eastern end of the Trum y Fawnog where it exploded killing the three crew members, leaving a large crater on the hilltop and wreckage scattered over a wide area. 

Following a recovery operation, the three crew were buried at various locations across the country. The aircraft’s pilot, Sub Lt Appleby, was buried at Oswestry, Sub Lt Green in Cardiff and Sub Lt Lupton at Morley near Leeds. 

On 3rd February 2025, this memorial to the airmen was unveiled near the site of the crash.   

“For my eyes have seen your salvation…a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Simeon, in today’s Gospel Luke 2:22-40.

“Range far your eye over long distances.” Proverb quoted byPresident Xi to Sir Keir Starmer in China this week, urging a long term view of their relationship. 

Although it’s actually tomorrow, Candlemas is celebrated today with the presentation of Christ in the Temple by Mary and Joseph. As observant Jews, they are following the Mosaic Law by bringing the first-born son to the Temple forty days after birth whilst Mary also undergoes the customary ritual purification of a mother after childbirth. 

Mary and Joseph offer the sacrifice of two turtle doves or a couple of pigeons, the offering of the poor, so it seems that they were not wealthy – this is probably before the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh from the visit of the Magi, which may have taken place up to two years after the birth of Jesus. Whilst they are in the Temple, Mary and Joseph meet two elderly people, Simeon and Anna. Simeon praises God in the words of what is now known as the Nunc Dimittis: “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace – your word has been fulfilled.” He has been told that he won’t die until the Messiah has come the Temple and the Holy Spirit enables Simeon to discern that, even in so busy a place, Jesus (whose name means the Lord is my salvation) is the one for whom he has been waiting. Faithful Simeon’s song of praise and fulfilment is one of the canticles still used in Evening Prayer today as well as at funerals. Simeon also warns Mary of the pain of what is to come later, and his words are completed by those of Anna, a widow aged eighty-four, who has also waited faithfully and obediently for what is unfolding, though there are no more details about her or what she says. This happens in Luke’s Gospel just after the shepherds came to the manger and then the naming of Jesus when he was eight days old – ordinary people are involved in extraordinary things happening, no matter how unlikely God’s plans may seem. Where might that still be the case today?

Because Jesus is recognised as the Light, so it became the custom for church candles to be blessed at this time, with other candles also being brought for dedication. As it coincides with nature’s candles, the snowdrops, emerging from the gloom of winter so Candlemas became a turning point from Christmas to the cross and from winter to spring. Once again, the traditional weather folklore may be heard as notice is taken of the signs of new life all around: If Candlemas day be fair and bright, winter will have a second flight. If Candlemas day be dull with rain, winter will not come again. 

Both Simeon and Anna were able to notice the signs before them because, Luke says, they were people of faith and prayer. Both must have been deeply tested over the years, Simeon vigilant for the Messiah and the prophet Anna living so much of her life with loss having been married for only seven years. They were willing to wait patiently but hopefully and were now elderly but still have a sense of expectation and wonder which can sometimes be lost in later life. Perhaps their age and experience enabled them to have a longer-term perspective on God at work in the world and to glimpse what others couldn’t – as George Herbert puts it in Prayer (1): Heaven in ordinarie. 

Ordinarily, my sight is good but I recently began to have problems with my vision, which I put down to conjunctivitis at first. But, when I had to open the fridge door with my eyes closed because I couldn’t bear the light within, I realised it must be more serious. A referral from my optician meant that I had to have an urgent hospital appointment – but my vision was now so blurred that I couldn’t drive the lengthy distance. My kind neighbour took me and it was confirmed that I had iritis, for which steroid eye drops are needed. The eye is now improving but my vision remains temporarily blurred and all this showed me that there are many reasons why it may not be possible to see clearly what is happening, just as the help of those around is so often needed to respond to events. 

In Revelation 3:18, Jesus suggests that the lukewarm church in Laodicea, a place known for its medical school and salves, should “Buy from me….salve to anoint your eyes that you may see.” This verse is for spiritual rather physical sight but the words salve, salvation, salvage and saviour all stem from the Latin salvare, to save. So, when Simeon speaks of seeing God’s salvation and the consolation of Israel, he knows that his waiting for the Messiah is over and his vigil ended. The Jews had to wait many centuries for this to happen, Simeon and Anna waited until almost the end of their lives and Mary would have to wait for another thirty years for the promises she had been given to be fulfilled. That’s a long time of nothing much out of the ordinary seeming to happen, yet God’s purposes are nevertheless unfolding. What are we waiting for, and are we really looking for Heaven in ordinarie? Meanwhile, spare a thought for the opticians, medics and pharmaceutical companies who enable better vision and, this Candlemas, why not light a candle of hope to see more clearly what’s going on?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Is not this the man who made havoc?” People listening toSaul in Acts 9:1-22.

‘Every saint has a past, every sinner a future.’ Oscar Wilde.

As the season of Epiphany continues with its revelations, it’s appropriate that the celebration of the Conversion of Saul occurs during this time and close to the Week of Prayers for Christian Unity since Paul’s known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, those who are not Jews. After his intense persecutions of followers of the Way, as the first Christians were called, Saul’s conversion led to him preaching in local synagogues and then later travelling widely to spread the Gospel message to those who had not heard it. Raised as a Pharisee, which he called ‘the strictest sect of our religion’ (Acts 26:5), Saul was named after the prophet who became the first king of Israel but his name as a Roman citizen, Paul, was also used later as it was more familiar to the Gentiles. Perhaps we also use other names at various times and for all sorts of reasons? 

Paintings of his conversion often show Saul travelling on a horse to Damascus 130 miles from Jerusalem and falling off it due a blinding light as a voice, later identified as Jesus, asks him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4.)This astonishing encounter leads to Saul being taken by those with him to a place where, for three days, he is without sight and neither eats nor drinks – what a loss of the power to which Saul was accustomed and what a complete change for him as he awaits what will happen.

Just as astonishing is the courage of Ananias, the disciple in Damascus who is told in a vision to go to Saul and lay hands on him to regain his sight. Understandably, Ananias is at first reluctant because of Saul’s persecution of so many followers but he is eventually obedient and not only goes to the house where he is but even calls him, “Brother Saul.” What grace and acceptance he shows in so doing! Saul’s conversion to the Way begins as he regains his sight and sees his situation in a completely different light – although many challenges lie ahead, eventually his Pharisaical education, background and Roman citizenship, combined with his zeal and willingness to respond to what Jesus asked of him, enable Saul to become a great theologian, writer and missionary so influential in the early church. 

In every life, gifts and influence can be used or, sometimes, forsaken. Perhaps there are times when there is a refusal to engage with others whose actions and views may be opposed or when fear gains the upper hand as it did at first for many of the Jews and Gentiles affected by Saul’s conversion and transformation. Or, self-righteousness has perhaps led to telling others to get off their high horse, or being told to do so ourselves, stemming from the days when people who thought themselves to be important would ride tall horses to appear more imposing. “How are the mighty fallen,” lamented David after the deaths of King Saul and Jonathan in battle (2 Samuel 1:19) but this Saul finds that his fall from power leads to his conversion, baptism and a completely different way of life when he listens to God’s call and receives the help of Ananias, a prayerful follower of the Way.

Paul’s conversion indicates that no-one is beyond God’s love and call, no matter what has happened before or what seems to lie ahead, and times of change can happen in the most astonishing ways, as it did for Saul of Tarsus. Some people never have a Damascus Road event but in every journey of faith there will be falls from grace or less dramatic experiences than Saul’s when it’s clear that there is a need to change and see things differently – or help others to. At those times of change in the past, who served as prayerful and gracious Ananias to us – and for whom could we be an Ananias today?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Look, here is the Lamb of God!” John the Baptist. “….Come and see.” Jesus.

From today’s Gospel, John 1:29-42.

“Back in December 1968, the first humans saw a sight that no-one had before – it opened our eyes.” BBC’s Anna Foster on Apollo 8’s mission to the far side of the moon.

As the season of Epiphany continues, so the week of prayers for Christian Unity begins and today’s Gospel develops the series of revelations that began with the visit of the Magi as they worshipped Jesus, followed by the baptism of Jesus and his proclamation as God’s beloved Son. Before the further manifestation in John’s Gospel at Cana of Galilee, where water was turned into wine in Jesus’ first miracle, John the Baptist and Jesus have a second encounter after his baptism when John not only declares that Jesus is the one awaited but then testifies to what happened as he was baptised. 

To testify is a legal term, to bear witness in a court of law and to provide proof or evidence to the truth. It’s linked with testes because, in the time of Jesus, Roman soldiers would hold each other’s testicles as proof of their manhood and as a sign of truthfulness when taking an oath of allegiance. So, as John the Baptist testifies to the truth of what he saw, it becomes a costly business for him – the next day, two of his own disciples leave him to follow Jesus when he asks them what they are looking for and then invites them to come and see for themselves. However, John’s testimony is vital as one of the two men is Andrew who then finds his brother and tells him that the Messiah has been found. He brings Simon to Jesus, who renames him, and so the news begins to spread, the truth of who Jesus really is becomes even more clearly revealed and the community of his disciples begins to grow.

“What is truth?” asked Pilate when Jesus appeared before him prior to his crucifixion. These days people sometimes speak of ‘my’ truth rather than ‘the’ truth, although the oath before testifying in a court of law is to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Truth is also often disputed, as I particularly recall from my childhood when it was suggested that some of the Apollo moon missions had been faked and that Apollo 11‘s landing on the lunar surface had never actually happened – despite transmitted footage of Neil Armstrong’s first steps from the craft and the iconic Earthrise photo taken by Bill Anders. These, and more, were claimed by some to be false but, as the mega-rocket Artemis 2 is prepared for possible launching from Cape Canaveral in February, it’s appropriate that it’s named after the Greek god of the moon and the twin sister of Apollo, the god of the sun. What the Apollo flights began, the Artemis missions will develop as so many previous generations have done in leaving the familiar to explore what lies beyond. Amongst them were the Israelites who complained as they were lead by Moses out of Egypt after crossing the Red Sea, which is actually the Reed Sea – Cape Canaveral’s name is also reminiscent of their Exodus, meaning as it does the Cape of the Bed of Reeds, from which Artemis 2 will launch. 

The Israelites had a challenging journey, as may the astronauts although they have training, instruments and expertise to prepare them. John the Baptist also had many challenges to face throughout his life but moved from the hesitancy indicated in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism to his statement in today’s Gospel that, ”I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” John saw for himself just as, over 50 years ago, the Apollo astronauts witnessed things never seen by humanity before – to what will those aboard Artemis testify and will their testimony be believed? 

As Epiphany continues to reveal an even wider understanding of Jesus than began with his revelation to the Gentiles as well as the Jews, might it be true that it’s possible to be too narrow in our own expectations and experience of faith today? Where might we need our eyes to be opened or to see for ourselves – to what are we bearing witness? Are we grumbling about it like the Israelites, testifying to it after a time of uncertainty like John the Baptist or perhaps watching the courage and skill of all those involved in the Artemis launch? If so, perhaps we’re inching forward or following more closely in the footsteps of those gone before us more than we may realise – could those small steps culminate in a leap of faith, truth and understanding? 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” From today’s Gospel, Matthew 3:13-17.

“My suitcase has no clothes but I packed all my hopes in.” Paddington Bear.

This is the First Sunday of Epiphany, when Jesus’ divinity is revealed in baptism at the River Jordan following his revelation to the Gentiles as well as the Jews through the visit of the Magi. He comes to his second cousin, John, who is attracting large crowds partly because of his similarities with the prophet Elijah – both of them spent time in the wilderness and wore simple clothing such as John’s camel hair robe with a leather belt. Each of them was also outspoken and caused offence, John calling the religious leaders a brood of vipers, and both were committed to their preaching. The Gospel of John suggests that John the Baptist was thought possibly to be Elijah, whose return was anticipated by Jews to announce the arrival of the Messiah, or that he was even the Messiah. For those reasons many were flocking to him and John’s own words that  he is not worthy even to carry the sandals of the one who is coming are a further manifestation, pointing not to his own but Jesus’ significance. 

His baptism is the first time Jesus appears as an adult and all four Gospels mention it, although only Matthew records the conversation between John and Jesus. Thanks to the care of his family and the many unknown others who supported them, Jesus has survived a difficult childhood involving exile in Egypt for two years after Herod’s threats to have him killed and the family has moved to Galilee rather than return to Judea where it’s still dangerous for them. Up to half of children in those days died before they were ten due to violence, poverty, malnutrition and disease so, being a carpenter, it’s likely that Jesus had become a strong and healthy man. This first public act is therefore important when the two men meet in this way as Jesus presents himself for baptism.

At first, John protests about this, suggesting that he should be baptised by Jesus, but Jesus is insistent, telling him “Let it be so now. For it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.” Jesus seems to suggest that, for God’s purposes, this is something they should both do together – whatever reservations John may understandably have are then overcome and the dialogue ends with his consent. John may be struggling with what is happening, but he trusts what Jesus is asking of him and the two men are united as the baptism then takes place. 

As it does, words are heard announcing Jesus as God’s beloved son with whom he is well pleased and the Holy Spirit is seen descending on Jesus Iike a dove. So often in Bible stories the presence of God is implied or discussed but, at the baptism of Jesus, the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit together is revealed, and not just the identity of Jesus. God is also us.

Jesus’ followers in every generation are also us,beingcommissionedin Matthew 28:19 to go and baptise all nations, continuing what he has begun. Today, the world can be dark and perplexing, just as it was in the time of Jesus. Then as now, there is also much to bring joy and hope, if that is sought – or brought with us, as Paddington Bear suggests! Perhaps for each of us, as for John the Baptist, there comes a point when, despite misgivings or uncertainty, we also have to accept what God is revealing to us even if it seems unlikely. Matthew writes of John, after his enlightening conversation with Jesus which enables him to see more clearly, ‘Then he consented.’ 

Do we?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

Our online Advent Calendar was to herald Christmas Day with the final word Alleluia! and its images but a misunderstanding meant that the Christmas card had some of those photos attached instead and Alleluia! didn’t arrive. There was some confusion as Advent began on November 30th and so the 25th image was on Christmas Eve, when appropriately Birth/New Beginnings would have lead to Alleluia! on the Day itself, 26. Hopefully, Alleluia! was said or sung at some point anyway!

Today’s focus is very far from Alleluia! as it focuses on the Flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents, when baby boys under two years of age were killed on King Herod’s orders. Estimates vary as to whether the children involved numbered ten or twelve through to thousands as Herod tried to get rid of the child called the King of the Jews by the wise men from the East, who had presumed he would be born in a palace and so came to Herod seeking him. Herod’s jealousy, which caused the bloodshed of those tiny victims and the anguish of their families, was actually in vain as Jesus and his family had already fled,  with Joseph being warned in a dream that they must leave and take refuge in Egypt. 

From the time of Moses Egypt had been seen as a place of oppression for Jews, who were taken into slavery there, but it now became a sanctuary for the Messiah, who remains for two years until the death of Herod. Egypt was beyond Herod’s power but it and Judea were part of the Roman Empire and linked by a coastal road which facilitated travel between them. The time the Holy Family spent there fulfils a prophecy in Hosea 11:1 quoted by Matthew: ‘Out of Egypt have I called my son,’ as does a second verse from Jeremiah 31:15, ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children.’ It also establishes links between Moses, who delivers the Jews to freedom, and Jesus who, after being a refugee, can return to set his people free later on. In Joseph’s second dream, he is told that Herod has died and that it’s safe for the family to return but, when Joseph learns that cruel Archelaus has succeeded his father, he is afraid to return to Judea and a third dream tells him to go to Galilee. In making Nazareth their home, Matthew suggests that a third prophecy has been fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazarene’, though no direct Old Testament quote supports this. What is significant is that Joseph’s three dreams and their messages enable survival and guidance at a time of danger – Jesus survives where so many others did not due to Herod’s insecurity and political machinations.

Matthew is the only Gospel writer to include the Flight into Egypt, possibly because he refers to Jesus later as the New Moses. However, it’s important to know that, in our own days of controversy over refugees and immigrants, Jesus was himself in need of refuge and was caught up in politics, violence and displacement then as are so many now. Amidst the cosy and familiar stories of angels, shepherds and the manger are these darker accounts of persecution, death and flight – all part of the same Christmas story and of what God’s son and his family endured. Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised that this is part of our world and story today, too?

With my prayers,

Christine, Priest Guardian.