The Second Sunday after Christmas
ALMIGHTY God, who hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word; Grant that the same light enkindled in our hearts may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Isaiah lxi. 1, Psalms LXXXV, LXXXVII | XC, XCI
& St. Matthew ii. 19
Homilies
Isaiah lxi. 1
THE Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.Psalms LXXXV, LXXXVII | XC, XCI
St. Matthew ii. 19
WHEN Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.Other Homilies Augustine on Psalm LXXXV | LXXXVII | XC
Jerome
An Homily on Returning from Egypt
From the words used farther on in this passage of the Gospel They are dead which sought the young Child's life: we are given to understand that there were others besides Herod which desired to kill him at this time, probably the priests and scribes. And Joseph arose, and took the young Child and his Mother. Note, that it saith not : He took his wife and child: but: He took the young Child and his Mother: whence is implied that Joseph not the father but the guardian.
But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. There are some persons so grossly ignorant of history that they confuse themselves over the two Herods, as if the one mentioned here were the same who afterwards set our Lord at nought during his passion, and they cannot understand how he should now be said to be dead. The Herod who was made friends with Pilate over Christ's death was the son of the Herod who massacred the infants of Bethlehem, and the brother of Archelaus.
He shall be called a Nazarene. The Evangelist, in quoting these words saith that they were spoken by the Prophets. If he had been citing one precise passage he would have said : By the Prophet: sing the word in the singular number. Hence we may infer that he is citing the sense of the Prophets, and not any individual passage in any of their writings. The word Nazarene signifieth Holy, and the common declaration of all the Scriptures is that Christ is the Holy One of God.
Scripture from 1928 Book of Common Prayer
Homily from The Anglican BreviaryHOME