Why was Jesus baptized for repentance by John the Baptist? (Yes, Jesus is willing to participate with us in our repentance. But there is something deeper.) Jesus is not so much being baptized by the waters, as he is baptizing the waters. Jesus is sacramentally consecrating the waters so they become mighty waters—the mighty waters of salvation.

To actually celebrate the Twelfth Day of Christmas may seem strange and overly religious to some, but in a secular age determined to rush past the holy, it’s an act of sacred resistance. And the final day of Christmas is a good time to meditate on the Logos in adolescence.

"Hope builds a bridge across the abyss into which reason cannot look. It can hear an undertone to which reason is deaf. To the hopeful, the world appears in a different light. Hope gives the world a special radiance; it brightens the world."

–Byung-Chul Han, The Spirit of Hope

Shepherds, though now romanticized in Nativity scenes, were at the bottom of society. These were not landowners but hired hands who watched over the sheep by night; sleeping, if they did, on the cold hard ground. That these simple shepherds and not the high and mighty were the first to know the greatest news of all was entirely in keeping with Mary’s prophetic song:

He has shown the strength of his arm,

He has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

And has lifted up the lowly.

In our contemporary context we need a Christianity formed by the Magnificat. In the American superpower we are typically inclined toward ideologies of success and anthems of strength. But the grace of God does not run uphill toward the pinnacles of success and strength, it rolls downhill toward the low places of humility and trust.

Mary as the Mother of God is both a holy and unique mystery, and an enduring archetype.

John the Baptist drinks no wine, because he’s not the one who brings the party, he only prepares the way. The party begins when Jesus turns the water to wine at the wedding feast of Cana. John is Advent; Jesus is Christmas.

Jesus of Nazareth being interrogated and ultimately condemned by Pontius Pilate is one of the most dramatic moments in the gospel story, and one of the most strangely fascinating moments in human history. Jesus on trial before the Roman governor of Judea establishes a historical context for the crucifixion. Indeed, it creeps into the Creed: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate.” If we enter into the theological depths of this historical moment, we discover that though on the surface Jesus is on trial before a Roman governor, in reality the world was on trial before the King of Kings.

In his Olivet Discourse Jesus predicted that the Temple would be destroyed, saying “all will be thrown down.” This came to pass a generation later when the Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem. But if Jesus’ words are words that “will not pass away,” what do these words say to us today, these words that—“all will be thrown down”?

Psalm 130 invites us to wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning. Our souls wait for the Lord because there are no quick and easy paths on the road to spiritual formation. Waiting is inevitable. Waiting is baked into this ancient Christian faith we have received. Instead of a hurried dash through a department story, the Christian life is more like a slow walk down a wooded trail. The Christian life is a slow walk interrupted by moments of grandeur. Most of our days are spent waiting patiently on God. But we don't wait alone. God the Holy Spirit gives us faith, hope, and love to empower us in our waiting.