|
THE CIRCUMCISION (LUKE
2:16-21)
Christ became man to experience all
our weaknesses and fulfill all the precepts of the Lord. .
.including circumcision. "He came not to abolish the law but to
fulfill it." Thus, Christ had to be human and Jewish.
Circumcision was a ritual
signifying the cutting off of all things displeasing to God. It
was a ritual of chastity whereby God delighted in man. In the New
Testament, it was circumcision of the spirit, i.e. the cutting
off of our vices, ". . .that we may be holy and blameless in
His sight."
Spiritual circumcision consisted of
subduing the desires of the flesh, growing in the knowledge of God
and multiplying our good works.
The first of January was a pagan
celebration in honor of the pagan god, Janus, a god with two
faces; one looking at the past and one at the future. He was a pagan
who was later deified and worshipped in a ritual where the pagans
wore symbols of animals and birds and men wearing women's
clothes.
The rite of Janus was diabolical;
it consisted in filling up tables with food at the eve of January
first, believing this would bring material benefits. Then they would
wait for midnight when the past separates from the future and the
pagans would sing and shout, dance and eat to their pagan god. It is
exactly the way we, Christians, celebrate New Year.
The early Church forbade such pagan
celebrations. This may be a small matter. But, like yeast, a little
paganism could paganize your whole life. So let us celebrate January
first the way Christians did.
The early saints, seeing how
January first was celebrated with pagan rituals consisting in a
mania for eating, drinking and dancing, ordered a public fast for
all Christians to pay for the sins of those who participated in the
pagan ritual. For the man who shows a kindly feeling towards the
sinner who indulges in wanton amusements is a participant in his
sin.
You whose eyes behold the Sacred
Eucharist should not feast on the wickedness of foolish men. you
should disdain and despise such works of paganism because it is from
the devil.
Heed what the prophet says:
"Turn away your eyes from seeing what is vain." You cannot
drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot
partake of the table of the Lord and likewise the table of
demons."
St. Caesarius of Arles: Sermo
192
(07-03-03) | 
