On the 7th day of the Octave of Christmas,

The Son of God became human in the fullness of time, we are reminded that,

The Word made flesh made alive the memory of that blessed humanity we lost through sin.

The Word is God, “true God from God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.”

St. Sylvester I, pope

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1 John 2:18-21

My dear children,

 Today's feast we recall Saint Stephen, the first person martyred for his faith in Christ.

Being faithful to the Christ born in Bethlehem means following him to the cross.

He was among the first followers of Christ to clearly unite the Old Testament with the unfolding New Testament.

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Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59

Stephen, full of grace and power,

 There was a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She never left the temple by worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day,　

in her heart that what she waits for will come to the temple.

She will see what she longed for through the years in the house of God.

She sees the child, gives praise to God and bears testimony on behalf of the child.

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  1 John 2:12-17

My dear children,

 "Christ has come and God's kingdom is at hand!"

The Lord of heaven and God of all creation has come to earth and

Do not be afraid, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

In the city of David a savior has been born for you, who is Christ and Lord.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

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Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful

 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Is normally celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas.

This feast developed at the beginning of the 19th century in Canada.

That seeks to portray the Holy Family of Nazareth as the “true model of life”.

The example of the Holy Family can lead us to holiness.

 1st Reading: 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28 (or Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14)

And she became pregnant.

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2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

When the king had settled

 Ｗhat was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

The wise men, having found the child indicated by the star. They could not retrace their steps.

Herod has not seen the child. And so, when faced with disappointment

he goes back to his old techniques of misusing his power and authority.

That is why all children two years old and under must pay the price. 

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1 John 1:5-2:2

We heard his message,

 On the day, we celebrate the birth of our Savior, join Zechariah in praise

“Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel!”

This God of Israel is the God who is ever faithful even when Israel had time and again been unfaithful.

This is the God who comes to save SINNERS.

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2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

When the king

 At the crucifixion, Jesus tells his mother, "Woman, here is your son",

and to the Beloved Disciple he says, "Here is your mother."

The "beloved disciple" alone, among the Apostles, remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross on Calvary.

Following the instruction of Jesus from the Cross, the beloved disciple took Mary, the mother of Jesus, into his care.

John was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public ministry, Was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.

John's older brother was St. James the Great, another one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles.

Jesus referred to the brothers as "Boanerges," meaning "sons of thunder."

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1 John 1:1-4

This is what has been,

The most important thing is the naming of the child. This was a serious matter in ancient times.

For a name carries with it the destiny of the bearer.

The baby could not be named frivolously. And so, after much debate, they named him John.

With Mary’s “fiat” and the call to repentance to prepare the way of the Lord by the precursor John,

and ultimately the birth of Jesus, the king of all Nations.

O come, O come Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel !

St. John of Kanty, priest

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Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24

Now I am sending