HE HAD BEEN TRICKED…

1 John 1:1-10; 2:1-2
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth;7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.1 My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Matthew 2:13-18 

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt,15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.”

MEDITATION

St JOHN makes the point that if we have become a member of the body of Christ which began at our baptism, we should not, cannot or aught not live a double life wherein sin of any kind prevail. To claim we have fellowship in Christ whilst we negate His commands by living a sinful life is a form of bigotry not tolerated by God. 

Believers do however have an escape route in the holy Sacrament of Confession (Jn 20:23, Mk 3:28), where Christ expiate our sin ‘in persona christi’ by His consecrated priestly mediator who dispense charisms to build up the members of the Church.

THE GOSPEL READING: Emminating from the visitation of the wise men, Joseph received a revelation that he take Mary and his son Jesus and depart from Bethlehem to Egypt, a counter measure to avoid the murderous Herod who had no jurisdiction over Egypt. Matthew link the experience of Rachel who mourned the death of her firstborne, to Mary who must have wept at the possibility that Herod may find them and unjustly slaughter her son. Jer 31:14-17

Not a day goes by when Satan do not tempt us in ways to seperate us from a; spouse, children and or parent(s), by luring us to commit grave sin and error. In effect, Satans end game is to swallow us up alive and destroy Christ living in us! When we submitted to the Holy Sacraments in baptism, confirmation, marriage, priesthood or the single life, we have sworn an oath to not depart from Christ and His teachings. Let us not be tricked by Satans false promises into thinking that we can flee from view and hide our sinful disorders or way of life because it is a private matter that is nobody’s business. Not so! On that day there will be a wailing and gnashing of teeth. Lk 13:27-28

LET US PRAY:Psalms 124:2-5, 7-8 

2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.7 We have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.