The Twelve Days of Christmas: The Sixth Day

Preparing for the Second Sunday after Christmas: Three Days Before Sunday (Year C)

Scripture

Psalter: Psalm 147:12-20

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 1:7-13

Epistle: Mark 13:32-37

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Prayer

God of justice and peace, from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness, that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder before your marvelous deeds. Raise our heads in expectation, that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

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Reflection

December 30th is the Sixth Day of Christmas, The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.

The Sixth Day of Christmas is also the feast of St Egwin of Worcester, who died on this day in 717. Egwin was consecrated a bishop in 693. He was known as a protector of orphans and widows. Egwin knew the importance the Bible placed on caring for such persons.

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause” (Isaiah 1:17).

“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” (Exodus 22:21-24).

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart” (Zephaniah 7:9-10).

There are several hundred other verses in the Bible on the subject. Clearly, God does not want us to ignore the most vulnerable.

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