251228 AOC Sunday Report

 

 Anglican Orthodox Church _sm

Worldwide Communion

First Sunday after Christmas

Holy Innocents Day

December 28, 2025 – Sunday Report

 

 

First Sunday after Christmas Propers:

The propers are special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.

 

The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.

 

The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saint’s instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. The Propers for today are found in the Book of Common Prayer page 104 -105.

 

 

The Collect for the First Sunday after Christmas

This Collect is to said daily throughout the octave.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Epistle for the First Sunday after Christmas. Galatians iv. 1.

NOW I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

The Gospel for the First Sunday after Christmas. St. Matthew i. 18.

THE birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

 On Point

St. John’s Day – December 27

 

 

“There was leaning on Jesus' Bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. "   John 13:23

 ST. JOHN'S chief characteristics were quietness, gentleness, and love. He knew that he was loved by his Master, because he was permitted to lean on His Bosom, that is, to be as near to Him as he could be, and to look into His Face.

Those who have tried to keep their baptismal vow by resisting the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, may, like St. John, lean on their Master's Bosom, for He loves to have His children close to Him.

There was no excitement about St. John's way of showing love for his Lord, he was gentle and quiet ; there was no hurrying to and fro seeking for some fresh work to do, no straining to do more than the other apostles, or to show his feelings to others; but he waited upon his Lord in calmness and quietness, ever ready to do his Master's Will.

Let us resolve to be content to go on from day to day doing for my LORD just what He puts before me, not making myself noticed by the world, but, like St. John, doing my work calmly and quietly.

Prayer.

I ASK Thee, my God, to make me pure in heart, so that I may live close to my Lord. Amen.

 Note from France: Bishop Yves Mera:

Wishing you a fruitful New Year, I am sending you a new apologetic Treaty, attached to this e-mail.

This is a sample of my plans to increase audience on our Facebook pages.

By the way, our "Anglican Orthodox church of France" page has now over 2,500 followers, many newcomers are from Nigeria where Christian Churches are persecuted, demolished, and killed. Our posts is their way to keep feeding themselves with God's Word, when they have no longer a Church where to go.

WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE IN GOD?

A trivial answer would be to say that the Bible commands us to do so. But what proves to us that the Bible is true, and that it is inspired? We thus fall into a circular reasoning where the Bible is both the source and the conclusion, the cause and the consequence of faith: I believe because I believe... This argument only convinces those who are already convinced.

We then have a catalogue of arguments accessible only to believers:

·        To avoid eternal hell

·        Because God commands us to

·        To be a good person

·        To acquire a morality worthy of Man

·        To give a proper meaning to my life

·        To have eternal life in Paradise

·        etc.

But we forget the main argument: I believe out of gratitude to the One who created everything (including me) and who died on a cross to redeem me by snatching me from the clutches of Satan. You just have to open the newspaper to see that Satan is active in our world that he rots by driving people to despair, evil, lies, violence and war. His work consists primarily of destroying God’s Creation, especially the men and women created by God, by any means. But to achieve this, he must persuade them in the first place that God does not exist.

However, Paul wrote to the Romans, (Romans 1:18-32) that the existence of a Creator and God is obvious to anyone who bothers to look at the Universe.  Everything that exists needs a cause, and the first cause of Creation can only be a coherent, intelligent and loving God, out of time and therefore eternal. The small number of physical and thermodynamic laws that govern the Universe exclude that it appeared by chance – Chance being the name that atheists give to God, distorting Him in a purely imaginary way to their liking.

I believe in God because He is the source and cause of all real existence. I believe God because everything He tells us through His prophets is true: all Bible prophecies are fulfilled one after the other! These are facts. I love God because He loves me and proves it by sacrificing His own only begotten Son in order to deliver me from sin and the death that comes with it. I know that death does not end life and that life continues after death in another form, elsewhere, as attested by all people who have experienced an NDE (near death experience), even if they are doctors or scientists.

At school they tried to make me accept the fable of Evolution, but this strange theory has never been proven: we are always looking for the "missing links" or intermediate stages between two species. The absence of these links proves that evolution never took place. Darwin did not know the genetic code or DNA present in every living cell, which code prevents any upward evolution towards a higher form of life; On the other hand, we note that accidental errors may occur in the reproduction of this same genetic code, causing a downward evolution: malformations, disabilities, sterile individuals blocking any evolution.

It has been claimed that the Earth appeared on its own five billion years ago, and a fairy tale has been built on it and taught in all schools: fossils are the remains of life forms prior to man... However, there are footprints of sandals braided by humans, stepping on trilobites – the oldest form of life on Earth! They want us to believe that fossils were formed over millions of years, buried at the bottom of the oceans under a slow deposit of sediments... But there are fossils of animals whose soft tissues – and even the feathers of birds – have been preserved, proving that they were suddenly buried alive under a deluge of mud and stones.

Such soft items would have disappeared if they had remained at the bottom of the sea waiting to be covered, either by natural decomposition or devoured by the rodent animals present on the seabed.

We have two options: either we consider that the fossils lie and that the Bible invents, and we deny reality, or we admit the existence of a Creator at the origin of Creation, a Lord and Master of the Universe, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude when we realize that it is He who created us and spoke to us through His prophets and finally through His own Son: Jesus, the Christ. It is through His merits, His obedience to His Father, that we have direct access to Our common Father in Heaven.

We then enter into a relationship with Him through faith and prayer; by getting answers to our prayers, we become aware of the existence of God who personally answers our prayers, if they are sincere and in accordance with His will. God blesses those who obey Him!

It is up to each person to see if God calls him to enter the loving family of the Father's adopted children by prayerfully asking Him to reveal Himself personally, or else to reject God, His grace, His promises and blessings, forever, and end up in a final destruction in the eternal hell, in the company of Satan and his evil angels.

See on which side you stand!

+Bishop Yves Mera

 

Jerry Ogles, Presiding Bishop – Metropolitan AOC Worldwide

 We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.

 

Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:

Bishop Ogles Blog:
 https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com  

Bishop Ogles You Tube Channel
that is free to subscribe: all of his videos at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg

 

 Bishop Ogles Christmas Message

Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2025/12/christmas-greeting.html

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB2GfftAszA&t=13s

  

 Bishop Ogles Evening Chat: Our Moral Dilemma

 AOC Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2025/12/our-moral-dilemma.html

You Tube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4i4RMQXKw

 

The First Christmas

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matt 2:1-2)

            There was a pristine brilliance to the purple nighttime canopy overlooking the hill country of the high desert surrounding Jerusalem that first Christmas more than two thousand years ago (in fact 2,015 AD). They the drama of the night was imperceptible to all who may have been awake for some unusual reason - for most were cozily wrapped in their blankets and sleeping amidst the most astonishing event to ever happen in time and eternity - the birth of the promised Savior! It was so profound that our calendars base their computations from before, and after, that eventful night.

            Unnoticed by the bustling residence of Bethlehem earlier in the evening, two very weary travelers arrived from Nazareth - a woman, Mary, about to give birth to a Child, and her espoused husband, Joseph. There was nothing of note to draw attention to these two humble travelers. The woman was riding a donkey, and had so ridden that donkey for a journey of seventy-two miles. They were desperately seeking lodging for the woman was about to deliver a baby! Checking every available inn of the village, the answer was the same at all of them: "No, we have no room for you. Can't you see the place is filled up with visitors!"

            Joseph was a good husband who loved his wife dearly. Finally, in desperation, he asked of the innkeeper if there was any place he and his wife could bed down apart from the inn. "Well, yes, there is the stable in the back of the inn, but, mind you, it is full of beasts of the field."  "I'll take it!" responded Joseph[1].

            It was not at all out of character for baby Jesus to be born under such circumstances. The greater part of the world would reject His love and His sacrifice for them; and so it began even before He was born that night. Just as is true in the hearts of many today, there was no room for Jesus that night.

            Based on his observation of his wife, Mary was very near to childbirth. Now was no time for quibbling or delay. He must prepare a place among the beasts of burden, cattle, and sheep, from the straw which was strewn about the stable's dirt floor. Sure enough, Joseph had no sooner made a bed as comfortable as possible in that cold stable that Mary went into labor. Sometime in the darkest arc of the night, she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger - it was the only furniture remotely resembling a baby's bed. It was made of roughhewn wood, the lowliest of beds for the King of Glory. There was, curiously, the ugly shadow of a cross that cast its hateful image across that scene in Bethlehem, for thirty-three years later, that same Jesus would again be laid upon a rough hewn wooden cross and nailed there. It is an act of mercy and grace that this fate was not told Mary by the great angel, Gabriel.

            Oblivious to the profound event taking place in sleepy little Bethlehem, there were shepherds, men of the poorest class, on the hillsides overlooking Bethlehem abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks. It is quite an amazing 'coincidence' that Jesus, the Passover Lamb of God, would be born in Bethlehem since Bethlehem was a place for raising sacrificial lambs for the sacrifice in the Temple of Jerusalem on Passover.

The shepherds, those that were awake at least, made small talk about the cold night air (it often snows on the high desert of Bethlehem, and perhaps remarked about the beauty and clarity of the night sky. I can attest to that beauty having lived on the high deserts of the Middle East for many years. No one was mindful of the shepherds, and the shepherds were not mindful of the sleeping villages. They were mindful of only one thing - their sheep whose feeding and security they would have risked their lives to provide. It is a bit like the Good Shepherd of John 10:11:  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

            Suddenly, the solitude of the hills were over taken by a wonderful glow and Presence. The shepherds knew not what to make of such a brilliance of light in its sudden appearance.  lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. (Luke 2:9-10 KJV) Yes, and you would be afraid, too, if a brilliant light suddenly emanated from Heaven onto a rural hillside. But there was more. There was an angelic Being that accompanied the light's appearance. The simple shepherds must have been terrified. But no matter the drama of light and being, when God is its source, there is no cause for fear to the innocent. God always puts His people at ease at His appearance.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. The shepherds were astonished at this news - great joy to ALL people! That must mean even we shepherds - and it DID!

             For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  (Luke 2:11-12)

            Is this the Christ of which Abraham and the prophets spoke, wondered the shepherds? Yes, for it is He alone that can Save the world! The Angel of the Lord told them where they would find the child. Now comes a confirming appearance of heavenly grace: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:13-14) Such rapturous beauty the shepherds had never before seen or even imagined!  This child must be most majestic to be heralded even by the heavenly host of angels - and He is!

            When we have confronted messengers from heaven itself, how should we then respond? We respond just as did the shepherds: And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. (Luke 2:15 KJV) They resolved to go immediately to see baby Jesus. Now it is one thing to make a resolution, and another to see it through. These shepherds were not remiss in seeing it through. They not only responded, they did so with HASTE! And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. (Luke 2:16)

            These poor men of the field were the first visitors, by royal invitation, to see the baby Jesus! How should we behave once we have found Christ? I believe we should react just as the shepherds did:  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  (Luke 2:17) Can the blind whose sight is restored refrain from shouting out the good news to all in earshot? Can the leper, separately from loved ones and polite society, withhold his praise once Christ has touched his debilitating soul? Can a lost sinner, coming into the presence of Christ, healed and restored, not bleat out to all the good tidings? Neither could these poor shepherds hold their peace regarding the events of Christ's birth. They published the news to all who would hear them both near and far. Do we do as well as they?

            When we hear the good news of Christ, how do we respond? Perhaps we respond in the correct manner as did those who heard and believed the shepherds. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  (Luke 2:18) I might add here that the term 'wondered' does not in any wise mean to doubt or question, but it means to be amazed or astonished.  Can you imagine the credibility of poor shepherds having such an impact on others? It was not the poor shepherds whose credibility gleamed through, but the Word of God gave veracity to their newfound faith.

            On this very night, there were also Wise Men traversing field and mountain at a great distance away - perhaps they had not yet crossed the Zagros Mountain range of western Persia. It would take months for them to arrive, but they would come in time to find Jesus in a house in Bethlehem. So the Jewish shepherds were joined by the Gentiles from Persia in attending upon the newborn king - to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Merry Christmas

2,000 years later, it is STILL Christmas!

 

Jack Arnold
Bishop of the Diocese of the West – AOC USA
Education and Training Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
Church of the Faithful Centurion

Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. In today’s sermon we will be looking at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message as we look for our place in this world. Let us start by reading today’s collect:

The First Sunday after Christmas Day.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

 

At this Christmastide, we have been concentrating on the joy of the Christ’s coming to earth; rightly so!  But, in our liturgical calendar, the days go on.  Right after Christmas, we celebrate Boxing Day in the Anglican tradition, but more than that 26 December brings us the recollection of Saint Steven Deacon and Martyr; he was killed under the direction of Saul of Tarsus, the same person who with God’s Grace and Help became Saint Paul.  The following day, 27 December, recalls Saint John, the longest lived of the Apostles whose writing gives so much to the theology of the New Testament.  Then on 28 December, we recall The Holy Innocents, whose deaths are connected with Jesus’ birth.  

An odd combination of days and thoughts for those who do not choose to think or delve deeply into a subject upon which their eternal lives are dependent.   Most people, if they go to church, are Creastors, that is people who attend church on Christmas and Easter.  This is certainly better than not at all, but one wonders why the two major events of the Christian year do not inspire them to more in depth consideration of what is, after all, the instructions for the remainder of their life here on earth and eternity.  As ministers, we wonder why it seems we are failing to get the message across, that it is important to attend church more than twice a year. All we can do in that regard is keep listening to the Holy Ghost and doing the best we can to get our message across and hope that inspires people to attend church more often.

At this Christmastide, it is not surprising to find “To take our nature upon him”, is a key phrase of the Collect, preceding “To be born of a pure virgin”, meaning He could not have been born from anyone else but Mary, who was at the time a pure virgin (this is before the birth of James, Jesus’ biological half-brother. But the more important part of the phrases is “to take our nature upon him.” When He came into this world, He took our nature upon himself, that is to say in simpler terms He became like us. That is, He became human. So He could experience what it is like to be us and how we operate and also so He could represent us in His Sacrifice upon the cross. This is a very core and important part of Jesus’s story. He came down to be one of us so He could experience what it is like to be human and relate to His Creation more. This is simply incredible and shows how much He loves His Creation that He would come down and become one of us, live amongst us, then suffer the death upon the cross and descent into hell and battle with Satan that we might have eternal life!

This is the major advantage that Jesus has over Satan. Satan has never been in a human body and thus has truly no idea about what our lives are like, but Jesus has been in a human body and has lived our lives, experienced the same temptations and thus could relate to us better.

Part of becoming human meant He felt the emotions we feel; pain, joy, suffering and more material emotions; hunger, wants and needs. This He took upon Himself, so He might come to understand His creation more. That could only be done if He could experience our body for himself, thus requiring Him to incarnate into a human form in order to understand what it was like to be us. Even though He created us and thus knew a lot about us, He needed the experience of being us. And also, to sacrifice Himself for our sakes, He needed to be within our bodies, so He could be accounted as a “human” sacrifice, taking upon all of our sins upon Himself, that we might be accounted as perfect before God to enter into heaven.

This topic leads into the Epistle. As Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, we are not to be servants or slaves of God, but His own children, we are more precious to Him than servants or slaves. He views us as part of His very wide and extended family. He loves us like a father or mother loves their own children. Christianity has this as an advantage over all the other religions in the world, especially Islam, which uses its followers as a means to an end and serves the Father of Lies or Satan.  Paul points out that God sent His Son that he would redeem us that had been under the bondage of sin and become free under the adoption of His Grace. If we truly accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts, souls and minds, we will become a better, loving, more compassionate and kid people.

We are different than the world for this very reason. The world lacks the compassion, the love Christ has given us, and it is the reason why it is and has been filled with so much trouble and sin over the thousands of years of our existence. Their lack of compassion and love is what has been the source of many conflicts over the ages. What Christ has given us is a gift beyond the world’s understanding and valuation systems. They simply cannot see the pure joy we get from following and serving God.  The World will not know peace until they finally recognize that serving God is the only way to have peace on Earth. But we will not have as much trouble as the world has, for we have something they do not, the Love of God and Christ among us to comfort and restore us, and to refresh us whenever we are tired and weary.

Coming to the Gospel, we come to a historical accounting of Jesus’s birth and what His Purpose in coming to Earth is. The Gospel states that Jesus came to save us from our sins. He would do that by His Death upon the Cross, His Descent into Hell and subsequent Resurrection. We have to realize God took upon our nature and our infirmities for us, His love is infinite as He is infinite. He is the past, the future and the present, He is the Master of Time. He is indeed, the Lord of Time and He love for us expands beyond all the timelines into the unfathomable past and into the unknowable for us future.

When we pray, we must refer to God as Father, as He is our spiritual Father and physical Father too, for without him, our fathers would not have been created and our lives would not have sprung forth upon this Earth. He is our ultimate Father in this sense, for without Him, we would not be here. We are in a state of eternal debt to God for bringing us in and saving us from the trouble of our human nature. If we are to repay it, we must follow Jesus on the path to perfection, which we will never get to, but we will certainly never get to it if we never try.

As we came upon this midnight clear, the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is here for us.  Will we accept it?  Follow Him, accept His Grace and all will be good forever.

He comes!

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

It is by our actions we are known.

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

 

 Charles Morley
Bishop of Alabama
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

We are always happy to get the instruction and devotions that Bp Morley is giving to us. We hope you enjoy the following:

Subject: Rose Sunday at Canterbury Chapel 

Christmas Joy to all. Peace, joy, and good health in the New Year.

Thank you for your faithfulness, your leadership, and kindness.

What a privilege to serve the Lord with you all.

God bless the AOC!

 Yours in His love,

+Charles Morley

Eph. 5:30

  

 Jose Rios, Bishop of Colombia |

Cartagena - Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

Jose began writing daily devotions in his native language on Christmas. If you would like to receive them by email, we would be happy to send them to you. Email aocworldwide@gmail.com.

 “La Navidad Herida: Inocencia, Martirio y Esperanza”

Devoción para el Día de los Santos Inocentes (28 de diciembre)

 Oración inicial

Oh Dios eterno y misericordioso, que en el misterio de la Encarnación revelaste tu gloria en la humildad y en la fragilidad, dispón nuestros corazones para meditar reverentemente en el testimonio de los Santos Inocentes. Concede que, iluminados por tu Palabra y fortalecidos por tu gracia, aprendamos a glorificarte con vidas puras, fieles y constantes, por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

La Colecta del Día

OMNIPOTENTE Dios, que por boca de los pequeñuelos y de los niños de pecho fundaste la fortaleza e hiciste que los parvulitos te glorificaran con su muerte; Mortifica y destruye en nosotros todo género de vicios y fortalécenos con tu gracia, para que por la inocencia de nuestras vidas, y por la constancia de nuestra fe aun hasta la muerte, glorifiquemos tu Santo Nombre; mediante Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

 

Meditación

La memoria de los Santos Inocentes, celebrada en el corazón de la Estación de Navidad, nos introduce en una tensión profundamente evangélica: el gozo de la Encarnación convive con la realidad del pecado, la violencia y la muerte que aún hieren al mundo. La Colecta del día nos enseña a contemplar este misterio no desde la lógica humana del poder, sino desde la sabiduría divina que se revela en la pequeñez y en la entrega silenciosa.

 

Cuando la oración afirma que Dios “por boca de los pequeñuelos y de los niños de pecho fundaste la fortaleza”, la Iglesia confiesa que la verdadera fuerza del Reino no procede de la espada de Herodes ni de los tronos de este mundo, sino de la fidelidad absoluta a la voluntad de Dios. Los Santos Inocentes no proclamaron con palabras su fe, ni realizaron obras visibles; sin embargo, su muerte se convierte en testimonio, porque fueron sacrificados en rechazo de aquel que es la Vida misma. En ellos, Dios es glorificado de un modo paradójico: no por la victoria inmediata, sino por la promesa de redención que atraviesa el sufrimiento.

La Colecta da un giro decisivo al trasladar este misterio a la vida del creyente. No se trata únicamente de recordar a los niños mártires, sino de permitir que su testimonio obre en nosotros una transformación interior. Por eso suplicamos: “Mortifica y destruye en nosotros todo género de vicios”. La inocencia cristiana no es una condición natural ni una simple ausencia de culpa, sino una obra continua de la gracia que purifica el corazón, ordena los afectos y libera al alma de aquello que la esclaviza. Así como estos niños herederos de las promesas de Dios fueron sacrificados en inocencia, es decir, sin conciencia o práctica del pecado, el cristiano es llamado a ofrecer su vida entera, renunciando al pecado que se opone al Reino de Dios y procurando una vida pura cumpliendo así el llamado de Cristo: De cierto os digo, que si no os volvéis y os hacéis como niños, no entraréis en el reino de los cielos.

La segunda súplica de la Colecta —“fortalécenos con tu gracia”— reconoce nuestra fragilidad. No podemos vivir una vida inocente ni perseverar en la fe por nuestras propias fuerzas. La gracia de Dios, manifestada en el Niño nacido en Belén, es la que nos sostiene en medio de un mundo que, como en tiempos de Herodes, muchas veces rechaza la verdad y teme la luz. En este sentido, la constancia de la fe “aun hasta la muerte” no es una aspiración heroica aislada, sino la consecuencia natural de una vida arraigada en Cristo.

A la luz de esta conmemoración, la Iglesia no puede permanecer indiferente ante la vulnerabilidad de los niños en todas sus etapas de vida. El testimonio de los Santos Inocentes impone un deber pastoral y profético: proteger, defender y preservar la vida de aquellos que no pueden defenderse por sí mismos, especialmente de los niños aún no nacidos, cuya fragilidad clama silenciosamente ante Dios. En un mundo hostil que con frecuencia valora la utilidad por encima de la dignidad, la Iglesia está llamada a ser voz de los sin voz y refugio de los indefensos, proclamando que toda vida humana es sagrada desde su concepción y pertenece al Señor. La Sagrada Escritura afirma este principio con claridad cuando dice: “Antes que te formase en el vientre te conocí, y antes que nacieses te santifiqué” (Jeremías 1:5), recordándonos que la vida es don divino y que su custodia es una responsabilidad santa.

Las lecturas del día iluminan esta oración. El Apocalipsis nos muestra el destino final de los redimidos: aquellos que siguen al Cordero participan de su victoria y reflejan su pureza. El Evangelio, por su parte, nos recuerda que esta fidelidad se vive en medio de una historia herida, donde el mal parece triunfar momentáneamente. Sin embargo, la Iglesia proclama que incluso la muerte de los inocentes no es estéril: en Cristo, todo sufrimiento ofrecido en fidelidad es asumido en la obra de la salvación.

Así, la meditación de los Santos Inocentes nos llama a vivir la Navidad con compasión, pureza y sobriedad espiritual. Al contemplar al Niño Jesús preservado para cumplir su misión, y a los niños de Belén entregados sin saberlo al misterio del Reino, aprendemos que glorificar a Dios no consiste únicamente en palabras o celebraciones externas, sino en una vida transformada por la gracia, marcada por la pureza del corazón y sostenida por una fe constante, aun en medio de la prueba.

“El Niño que nació en Belén para morir por nosotros santifica la inocencia entregada, vence la violencia del mundo con su gracia, y llama a su Iglesia a custodiar la vida y glorificar a Dios con fidelidad hasta el fin.”

Lectura orante de la Palabra

La Epístola de Apocalipsis 14:1–5 presenta la visión del Cordero de pie sobre el monte de Sión, rodeado por aquellos que han sido redimidos. Estos son descritos como puros, veraces y sin mancha, siguiendo al Cordero dondequiera que va. En el contexto de los Santos Inocentes, esta imagen adquiere una profundidad especial: los pequeños mártires, aunque sin elección consciente, son contados entre los que pertenecen al Cordero. Su pureza no es mérito propio, sino don de Dios, y su fidelidad es reflejo de la fidelidad de Cristo mismo.

El Evangelio según san Mateo 2:13–17 nos confronta con la crudeza de la historia: la huida a Egipto y la matanza de los niños de Belén. La Encarnación no elimina de inmediato el mal del mundo, sino que lo enfrenta desde dentro. Jesús es preservado para cumplir su misión redentora, mientras otros mueren a causa del odio al Reino. Sin embargo, la Escritura no presenta esta tragedia como absurda: incluso aquí se cumple la Palabra, y el llanto de Raquel se une al clamor de toda la creación que espera redención. En medio del dolor, Dios permanece fiel a su promesa.

Preguntas para reflexionar

1.      Desde la Colecta: ¿Estoy pidiendo a Dios de manera perseverante que mortifique y destruya los vicios que oscurecen la inocencia de mi vida cristiana?

2.      Desde la Epístola (Apocalipsis 14:1–5): ¿Qué significa para mí seguir al Cordero “dondequiera que va”, especialmente en contextos de prueba o sufrimiento?

3.      Desde el Evangelio (Mateo 2:13–17): ¿Cómo respondo ante la realidad del mal y del dolor inocente a la luz de la Encarnación de Cristo?

Aplicaciones devocionales

1.      Desde la Colecta: Examinar mi vida a la luz de la gracia, buscando una inocencia restaurada por Dios, no como perfección humana, sino como fidelidad purificada.

2.      Desde la Epístola: Renovar mi compromiso de pertenecer al Cordero, viviendo con verdad y sin doblez, aun cuando el camino implique renuncia.

3.      Desde el Evangelio: Confiar en la providencia de Dios incluso en medio del sufrimiento injusto, sabiendo que ninguna lágrima es ajena a su redención.

Oración final

Oh Dios omnipotente y fiel,

que en la debilidad revelas tu gloria y en la inocencia manifiestas tu Reino,

recibe nuestra vida como ofrenda santa.

Purifícanos por tu gracia, fortalécenos en la fe,

y concédenos seguir al Cordero con constancia hasta el fin,

para que, unidos a los Santos Inocentes y a todos los redimidos,

glorifiquemos eternamente tu Santo Nombre;

por Jesucristo nuestro Señor.

Amén.

“Los niños que aún no podían hablar murieron por Cristo; no confesaron con palabras, sino con su sangre”. (San Agustín, Sermón 10 sobre los Santos Inocentes)

 

Yves M. Méra, Bishop of France - AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide

 We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.

 Feast of the Holy Innocents

Ezekiel 21:11-17a; Matthew 2:13-18

AGAINST FEAR AND VIOLENCE

The Holocaust is not an invention of the 1940s. Hitler did not invent anything. Herod before him had attacked the Jewish children, systematically slaughtering those of Judea, in and around Bethlehem, for fear of the King of the Jews who had been born there.

But how can one be afraid of a small child under the age of two? A child is innocent and non-consenting by definition. And above all, how can we be afraid of it to the point of organizing a general massacre, a Shoah? The mystery of violence is linked to fear. And fear is a lack of faith in God, of trust in His infinite mercy, and of His desire to forgive us all our sins, if we repent of them without feint, turning our backs on our past wrongdoing, and relying on the grace of a compassionate but holy and just God.

The episode of the massacre of the Holy Innocents reveals two essential points:

1.      Fear is a bad adviser, because it clouds the brain by bringing to the surface primitive instincts comparable to those of animals, which instincts lead to a violence which, although preventive, is no less cruel.

2.      In the face of primitive violence, there is no salvation except in flight.

Thus Joseph was warned in a dream to take his little family to Egypt, to protect them from Herod's wrath. Thus we could see French and Jewish families leave in June 1940 on the roads of exodus...

It is impossible to reason with someone who is afraid, but really afraid. We have to wait for him to calm down. This is how Joseph and his family stayed 7 years in Egypt, until the death of Herod, this worldly prince whose fear turned into a deep-seated hatred, to the point of marking his personality and character. His fear was the opposite of a reverential fear of God. But is it a sin to be afraid? Fear is natural, involuntary and uncontrollable. Those who claim otherwise have never had stage fright - and all artists have stage fright when they go on stage - or they hide it out of bluster. But when faced with a Herodian or Hitler soldier raising his weapon to kill you, the bravest of men begin to tremble in all their limbs, naturally, without being able to control themselves.

Matthew tells us about the events that led Herod to massacre the Holy Innocents: the three Magi left without going back to Jerusalem, where King Herod was waiting for them to let him know where Jesus was, in order to eliminate him physically (Matthew 2:11-12): " They went into the house and saw the little child with Mary,  his mother, prostrated themselves and adored him. Then they opened their treasures and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned to their country by another route ." One did not need to be a great prophet before the Eternal to distrust King Herod: it would have been enough for the Magi to know his violent character... but the Magi were strangers passing through, and they knew Herod neither personally nor by reputation. A close friend of Herod may have picked up on a lie and a trap in his way of asking passing strangers where the newly born king of the Jews was (Matthew 2:7-8): " Then Herod sent for the Magi in secret; he carefully inquired of them when the star had appeared, and then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and get exact information about the little child." When you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship him ." It is well known that it was neither in Herod's intentions nor in his habit to prostrate himself before a small child, whom he considered a slave, for in Eastern culture all children are servants of their parents. No more, no less. In the context, this statement of Herod was therefore suspect, which is why the Magi believed without question in the dream that enjoined them to return by another way. At night with advice, they were able to reflect and opt for caution.

The birth of Christ did not escape Herod - only the precise place was unknown to him - and he finally realized that the Magi had played it by not coming to warn him of this exact place (Matthew 2:16-18): " When Herod saw that the Magi had deceived him, he became very angry, and sent to kill all the children two years of age and under who were in Bethlehem and in all its territory,  according to the date he had been told by the Magi. Then was fulfilled what the prophet Jeremiah had foretold: "They heard cries in Ramah, weeping and lamenting: it is Rachel who weeps for her children and did not want to be comforted, because they are no longer there ." Thus, in Herod, anger follows the fear of Christ, who came into the world to judge him (Psalm 96:13): "... for he is coming. Yes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world justly, and the peoples according to his faithfulness ."

This is what John foretells in Revelation 6:15-16: " The kings of the earth, the great, the military leaders, the rich, the powerful, all the slaves and the free, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall upon us and hide us from him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb .'" Yes, God is angry at all sin, but since He is the Almighty, He does not know fear. Do you think he was nervous about Lucifer's revolt? He immediately sent him back to earth, waiting to hurl him into hell " The devil, who led them astray, was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the so-called prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever " (Revelation 20:10).

As for the Holy Innocents who suffered an unjust death at the fault of King Herod, they will be honored in the Kingdom of God. Imagine: the children whom Herod was not afraid to massacre will reign over him, in Heaven! (Revelation 7:13-17): " One of the elders answered and said to me, 'Who are they that are clothed in white robes, and whence did they come? I answered him, "Lord, you know it."  Then he said to me, "These are the ones who come from the great tribulation." They washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they stand before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple. He who sits on the throne will shelter them in his tent. They will no longer be hungry, they will no longer be thirsty, the sun will no longer beat against them, nor will they have any burning heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will take care of them and lead them to the fountains of the waters of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Note that this is not revenge, but perfect justice. The children of Bethlehem were sacrificed by Herod, but this slaughter was foretold by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:15): " This is what the Lord says: They heard cries in Ramah, lamentations and bitter weeping: it is Rachel who weeps for her children and did not want to be comforted for her children, because they are no longer there ». It was therefore a necessary evil for the salvation of many. But who is Rachel, you may ask, and why does Matthew quote this passage from Jeremiah? Rachel is the wife of Jacob-Israel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, the mother of the Benjaminite Jewish people, related to the Judeans in the kingdom of Judah, and therefore the ancestor of the children of Bethlehem.

Violence is a terrible scandal, an atrocity that generates all kinds of victims and horrible evils. How can God allow it, and especially allow Himself to do so, if not to fulfill a judgment, or to bring out a greater good for His chosen people and for His glory?

Instead of asking ourselves the question "why? - because of what?", God invites us to ask this other, much more enlightening question: "for what? - in two words: for what purpose?". The prophet Ezekiel explains it to us in Ezekiel 21/11b-13: "The sword is sharpened, it is polished to arm the hand of the killer. Cry and mourn, O son of man, for it is used against my people, against all the princes of Israel: they are given over to the sword with my people. Hit your thigh! Yes, it's the test ! And what will happen if even the despised scepter is no longer there? declare the Lord GOD ." God tests our faith by offering us the choice between these two questions "why" or "for what" to strengthen our faith, our trust in Almighty God: The Lord sees all things and He knows all things. Everything He does is therefore with a view to a final good: His glory in Heaven, in the midst of His elect.

Indeed, a superficial observer would be tempted to think that God is unjust, since He kills innocent children, and lets Herod live. But be patient! wait for the rest and see how another Herod who resembles him ends, since he participated in the condemnation to death of our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 12:21-13): " On the appointed day, Herod, dressed in his royal garb, sat on his throne and addressed them publicly. The people cried out, "It is the voice of a god and not of a human being!" An angel of the Lord immediately struck him because he had not given glory to God. He died gnawed by worms ." There is therefore a divine justice, even here below or later in Heaven, but God takes His time and does not forget any of our small sins and our great crimes. Rest assured.

No one will escape God's judgment except His repentant elect (Ezekiel 21:14-15): "As for you, son of man, prophesy! Clap your hands and the sword blows will redouble and triple! It is the sword of carnage, the sword of great carnage, the sword that must pursue them so that hearts liquefy, so that falls multiply. At all their gates I threaten them with the sword. Ah! it is made to sparkle, it is sharpened to massacre ." And the prophet Ezekiel continues in verses 16-17 by giving us a lesson in divine fencing, and demonstrating how He uses men of the sword to execute His judgments: " Gather your strength, turn to the right! Stand back, turn left! Face from all sides! I, too, will clap my hands and satisfy my fury. It is I, the Lord, who have spoken ." Thus, it is not God who kills, but it is His messengers, who are not even aware that they are the working arm of God, and that they are working on behalf of the true God, whom they also hate to the highest degree.

God uses His enemies, unbeknownst to them, to manifest His glory. Not only does He allow some violence, but He uses violence to dispense His justice. Therefore, let us fear God, for He has the power and power to compel us to do what we would not want to do; and slaughtering innocent children even in their mother's womb is one of them. But beware of the judgment that is coming! God will settle his account with everyone, without forgetting anyone. (Proverbs 9:10): " The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom "; and the fear of God is fear and flight from evil (Proverbs 8:13): " To fear the Lord is to hate evil. Arrogance, pride, the way of evil and the evil mouth, that is what I hate ." Hypocrisy is loving God while loving and doing evil. This may deceive the naïve, but not God. On the contrary, let us love right and justice, and let us put them into practice by fleeing duplicity and those who use it: Let our YES be YES and our NO, NO (Matthew 5:37): " Let your word be 'yes' for yes, 'no' for no; what is added to it comes from evil ." Is this clear enough for you?

Let us pray the first Psalm, which gives us a lesson in divine wisdom by reminding us that there are two opposite paths that are offered to us. Those who opt for the ascending path of righteousness and holiness are blessed by God; on the other hand, the wicked descend to eternal perdition (Psalm 1): "Blessed is the man who does not follow the counsel of the wicked, who does not stop in the way of sinners and sit in the company of scoffers, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night! It resembles a tree planted near a stream: it gives its fruit in its season, and its foliage does not wither. Everything he does succeeds for him. The wicked, on the other hand, are like the chaff that the wind scatters. Therefore the wicked do not resist in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

Let us not judge by our own short-sighted criteria, but let us judge fear and violence in the light of the Word of God, for He sees further than we do, into eternity (Psalm 119/104-106): " Because of your decrees I have become intelligent, therefore I hate every way of lying. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I swear, and I will keep my promise, to respect your just sentences ." May it be  

so for each of us. Amen.

                                                                                   Rev.Yves Méra, Bishop AOC France.

 

 

 

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi   

 

 We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people  to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

 

 First Sunday after Christmas

 

In our lesson today from Isaiah, the prophet was given to proclaim: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this (9:6-7). These verses refer to the promised Messiah— the Christ— who came to provide salvation to all who would believe on his name. With that in mind, let us consider the particulars of these verses.

First, we have the announcement of his birth which was an affirmation of Isaiah 7:14 which states: Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Immanuel is translated as, “God with us.” The Messiah was born as one of us, and yet, via his virgin birth per the workings of the Holy Ghost, he remained fully divine. To put it another way, he is both a “Son of man” and the “Son of God.” Consider the words of the Nicene Creed that is part of our Holy Communion service wherein we affirm that our Lord is, “...very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance of the Father, by whom all things were made, who for us men and our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man...” As God had pronounced judgment on our first parents in the Garden, he also set forth the provision for the redemption of humankind with his prophecy that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). That seed of the woman was Jesus Christ— Immanuel— God with us.

Another message contained in our Old Testament lesson had to do with the coming kingdom of the Messiah. The prophet noted that ...the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The aforementioned names mentioned by Isaiah speak of who the Messiah is, for as Matthew Henry once noted, “This child, this Son of God, this Son of man is invested with the highest honor and power... His people shall know him and worship him by these names. Justly is he called Wonderful, for he is both God and man. He is the Counsellor, for he was intimately acquainted with the counsels of God from eternity, and he gives counsel to the children of men... He is the mighty God... He is the Prince of Peace...”

We see in these names characteristics which aptly describe the Messiah’s presence and power. He is said to be Wonderful because he inspires awe. His birth at that lowly stable in Bethlehem though seemingly insignificant, yet when examined in the light of prophecy as noted in Isaiah 7:14 is beyond remarkable. For God the Son to enter our world as he did reveals the awesome power of our God to create for himself a earthly vessel in which he might walk among us and be one of us. It reveals the condescending love which God has always possessed for his highest creation.

His title of Counsellor speaks as Matthew Henry so noted of his godly understanding, as well as his presentation of that knowledge to mankind via his apostles and their charges who wrote books of the New Testament. Our good and loving God has sought to spread his wisdom abroad which, if followed, will lead all who believe on him to eternal life in his coming kingdom. The prophet spoke of the Messiah as being, The Mighty God, the everlasting Father. These are titles which speak of the Messiah being a member of the Godhead, and thus fully man and fully God. Only God could redeem his lost creation via the shedding of his blood— the blood of an earthly body— and so die as he did on the cross for our redemption. Again, what condescending love we are treated to in the death of Christ. And what glory there is for such a God who raised our Lord from the dead and who later ascended into heaven to intercede for us at the Father’s right hand.

He is the Prince of Peace who came to bring to his own the peace of God and the blessed assurance of eternal life as co-heirs with himself in the God’s coming kingdom. The peace that Christ gives us far surpasses anything that could be found within the realms of the natural or the supernatural. Peace is a commodity which men have pursued since our first parents were cast out of the Garden of Eden. Over the millennia, human rulers have rarely succeeded in crafting genuine peace treaties, and of those that they did manage to establish, said agreements rarely survived for little more than a generation before they were undone by the principals who signed them. When our Lord returns, he will put an end to all violence between nations and peoples. He will triumph over the works of Satan and his host of wicked spirits and human disciples to bring in a millennium of true peace and justice. He will sit upon the throne of his father David and rule over all the world.

God promised David that from him would the Messiah spring forth. As the apostle John wrote of our Lord that he is, ... the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star (Revelation 22:16). And as ruler, he will establish his kingdom and order it with justice and with judgment. With justice, because his will and purpose for things will be done in righteousness and in truth. With judgment, because all who will not obey his commandments will be judged and punished in the fires of perdition. No evil will be permitted to exist in his millennial kingdom until that final time of testing when the Devil will be permitted to tempt mankind and then he, and those who would follow his lead, will be cast out into that inevitable and inescapable Lake of Fire. The zeal of the LORD of hosts is that Spirit of Power which he possesses to complete his works. The desire of God to bring those things so prophesied about in our lesson and in other places is so great that we have every assurance they will be done in the manner he described. God’s desires are never thwarted and are to be considered as truths yet to be formalized. That is where our faith comes in. As regenerated people in Christ, we believe that what God has said in his word written he will carry out in his time. While truth in our sphere is observed and tested by what has happened, God’s truth is in his promises made good via the testimony of Scripture. And as we have faith that he will do as he has promised, we find comfort for our souls in this present time, as well as hope for the future in his coming kingdom.

In closing, let us keep in mind that description of our Lord which we heard in our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah. Let us always remember what the prophet was given to inscribe for our learning, edification and comfort because it proclaims the power and majesty of the Messiah as God’s child who came and dwelt among mankind and yet remained wholly and truly the God of all Creation. And let us now in that knowledge come to his table today and partake of the thanksgiving feast which he has prepared for us, and rejoice that he is all those things — Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Let us pray,

Holy and gracious God, whose word doth inspire and comfort us; we pray that thou wilt be present with us, and help us to ready ourselves for the second advent of thine only begotten Son; for these things we ask in his dear name. Amen.

 Have a Blessed Week,

Bryan+

 

 Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor

Saint Paul's Anglican Church - Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC

 First Sunday after Christmas

 Morning Prayer

 Psalm 98; First Lesson: Isaiah 9:2-7; Second Lesson: Matthew 11:25-30 

 ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

 

  As we reflect upon the passage from Isaiah, notice a preview of a coming phenomena. The sharing of the Gospel, the light of Christ the Redeemer, causes darkness and the accompanying fear to be rolled away. Where ever the Gospel has been shared and accepted, the message that Christ has come to redeem His people, there has been this effect upon those people. 

 Take for example the continent of Africa.  When the true Gospel was shared by missionaries and church societies all over the continent, you began to see changes with those who accepted the message of the Gospel. The Good News, Christ came to redeem that which was lost. He came to his people, no matter where they were. “...the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light...”.  Those who were held down by the fear and darkness of a pagan culture, they saw the shadow of death lifted from them, “...upon them hath the light shined...”.  

Let us look at another example. China. We are in a deadly economic conflict with the largest quasi-communistic nation in the world.  It isn’t true communism, it would have collapsed decades ago under that folly.  

So in adaptation, China has a command economy that pirates intellectual properties from the rest of the world, makes loads of financial profits and yet maintains a fairly strict control over its people. Now let’s look at the church in China. A healthy Bible believing population of believers are thriving in China.  Not the official church, under the thumb of the communist, but an underground church, not unlike the early Christians in the Roman Empire. Currently there is a great effort to close these “illegal” churches down. There have been arrests made, buildings bulldozed to the ground, Bibles confiscated, much destruction, at least outwardly to the underground church. 

In this past year of 2025 the CCP has begun another effort to wipe out the ‘faith once delivered’ in China proper. Why is this happening now? There are some major demographic shifts taking place in China right now.  Many young people are no longer participating in the day to day societal norms.  Many are choosing to not get married, not have children, and in some cases, just dropping out of what is considered normal society.  So the government is seeking some one or group to blame for this ennui.  Christianity seems to fit the bill.  A faithful believer does not devote their whole life and energy to the STATE.  This goes against the Maoist Doctrine set up some 80 years ago. 

What is the Chinese communist government forgetting?  History.  Rome tried to destroy the faith once delivered.  Many early Christians were banished, killed, impoverished, every effort was made to destroy the faith of these early believers.  What happened instead?  The Church flourished.  It spread, it grew in spite of the persecution meted out by the Roman government.   “....Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this...”   Today, in China, there are more Christians of true faith than in all of Europe.  What?!?   Yes, there are more believers in China than all of Western Europe.  Think numbers.  If China is a billion nine hundred million in population, and Christians in China number 1.5 percent, well?   Yes, there are more believers in China. 

 Isaiah gave us the low down on what was going to happen when this baby was born “...For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

I firmly believe that this is what Isaiah was prophesying. The growth of the faith, in spite of push back by the world.  There are places on earth today, where Christianity is thriving, in spite of it being “privatized” in post-modern Western society. As Christianity is being pushed out of the open forum in Western culture, it is becoming more and more influential in less “advanced” cultures. Why? Because there is truth in the Word.  The people where the light has been shone, see that the truth sets them free of the fear of death and the unknown.  

I’d like to read from the commentaries of Matthew Henry concerning the last portion of this passage from Isaiah.  “....This Child was born for the benefit of us men, of us sinners, of all believers, from the beginning to the end of the world. Justly is he called Wonderful, for he is both God and man. His love is the wonder of angels and glorified saints. He is the Counselor, for he knew the counsels of God from eternity; and he gives counsel to men, in which he consults our welfare. He is the Wonderful Counselor; none teaches like him. He is God, the mighty One. Such is the work of the Mediator, that no less power than that of the mighty God could bring it to pass. He is God, one with the Father. As the Prince of Peace, he reconciles us to God; he is the Giver of peace in the heart and conscience; and when his kingdom is fully established, men shall learn war no more. The government shall be upon him; he shall bear the burden of it. Glorious things are spoken of Christ's government. There is no end to the increase of its peace, for the happiness of its subjects shall last for ever. The exact agreement of this prophecy with the doctrine of the New Testament, shows that Jewish prophets and Christian teachers had the same view of the person and salvation of the Messiah. To what earthly king or kingdom can these words apply? Give then, O Lord, to thy people to know thee by every endearing name, and in every glorious character. Give increase of grace in every heart of thy redeemed upon earth.”.

 As we finish up the season of Christmas, also known as Christmastide, ending next Sunday on Epiphany, let us look at what great promises and joy Christ has given us.  First, in his coming to live with us as fully man and fully God.  Secondly, knowing that he is coming again, to establish his new heaven and new earth, as it was supposed to be at the Garden, before the Fall of Adam and Eve. And finally, that he has provided the Way to the Father.  Only by Him are we saved and redeemed from eternal separation from God.  He is our Redeemer and Savior.

We face some real challenges this coming year and yet with the strength and peace that God has given us, we will prevail.  Remember; ‘thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...’

Let us face the New Year with the Hope of Salvation as expressed in Christ’s Resurrection.

God bless our church family and the AOC around the world.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore.  Amen.

                                                                                + Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn

  

 AOC Worldwide Prayer List –

I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.

 Prayer Needed:

Jeff - Cancer 

Bobby Bryan – cancer and cardiac issues

Sandy – broken Femur

Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain

Dennis Potrikus - fall with bad knees – recovering his rehab

Paul Meier – throat cancer- radiation treatment successful

Richard Bailey – Brain Cancer

Marilee – Mastectomy Update – radition Treatament just completed

Donna – ongoing radiation and Chemortherapy. Pray for successful remission

Roy – Bulging disc – upcoming surgery

Michelle – metasicized lung cancer – treatment ongoing

 

Extended Issues need continued prayer;

Laurie with long Covid Symptoms - Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.

Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment

 Keep Praying for the following:

Shamu-health issues, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Harper-IBS ,
Jim Sevier- God’s Peace, Linda –multiple myeloma & pneumonia, Marianne,  Donna-chemotherapy, Alicia-caregiver Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall – cancer, Toni – cancer,
Donna  - cancer, Malou – cancer, Archie, Eloise, Janice, Dakota, Katie, Finley, Mike & Gayle, Bobby, Effie, Kamil, Joyce

 

 

  

Anglican Orthodox Myanmar - Christmas Celebration

 

      Rev. Titus Hliel preaching

Christmas Celebration in the Philippine Islands    Children of All Saints Tulodan - Atok, Benguet, Philippine Islands  Members of Church of Blessed Redeemer (CBR) on way to visit All Saints

 Women of the CBR 

 

Impromptu Nativity Presentation bringing joy and fun to everyone!