Patrick Comerford
Today is the Seventh Day of Christmas (31 December 2023), the First Sunday of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I spent most of yesterday in bed with a slight temperature, a head cold and some joint and muscular pains. The symptoms seemed to aggravate my Sarcoidosis symtoms last night, and although I had hoped to be at the Parish Eucharist in Holy Trinity Church, Old Wolverton, later this morning I doubt whether that would be considerate to other churchgoers.
Whatever I decide later this morning, before today begins I am taking some time for reading, reflection and prayer.
My reflections each morning during the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ are following this pattern:
1, A reflection on a verse from the popular Christmas song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’;
2, the Gospel reading of the day;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.
The Seventh Day of Christmas today (31 December) means we are more than half-way through the traditional ‘12 Days of Christmas’ – although, in liturgical terms, Christmas is a 40-day season that continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February).
The seventh verse of the traditional song, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, is:
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ,,,
Seven Swans a-Swimming,
Six geese-a-laying,
five golden rings,
four colly birds,
three French hens,
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree.
The Christian interpretation of this song often sees the seven swans-a-swimming as figurative representations of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven virtues – they might even represent the seven churches of the Book of Revelation.
Sir Ninian Comper’s East Window in Southwark Cathedral shows Christ in Majesty in the centre light, with the Virgin Mary on the left and Saint John the Evangelist on the right. Christ sits enthroned above the world surrounded by seven doves, symbolising the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord.
Christ is depicted in the window as a youthful figure, with a globe or the world below his feet bearing seven stars representing the seven churches in the Book of Revelation:
Ephesus (Revelation 2: 1-7): known for toil and not patient endurance, and separating themselves from the wicked; admonished for having abandoned their first love (2: 4).
Smyrna (Revelation 2: 8-11): admired for its affliction and poverty; about to suffer persecution (2: 10).
Pergamum (Revelation 2: 12-17): living where ‘Satan’s throne is; needs to repent of allowing heretics to teach (2: 16).
Thyatira (Revelation 2: 18-29): known for its love, faith, service, and patient endurance; tolerates the teachings of a beguiling and prophet who refuses to repent (2: 20).
Sardis (Revelation 3: 1-6): admonished for being spiritually dead, despite its reputation; told to wake up and repent (3: 2-3).
Philadelphia (Revelation 3: 7-13): known for its patient endurance and keeping God’s word (3: 10).
Laodicea (Revelation 3: 14-22): is neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, called on to be earnest and repent (3: 19).
The cardinal virtues comprise a set of four virtues recognised in Classical writings and and usually paired with the three theological virtues.
The cardinal virtues are the four principal moral virtues on which all other virtues hinge: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The three theological virtues are: faith, hope and love. Together, the cardinal virtues and the theological virtues comprise what are known as the seven virtues.
Plato is the first philosopher to discuss the cardinal virtues when he discusses them in the Republic. In his Rhetoric, Aristotle writes: ‘The forms of Virtue are justice, courage, temperance, magnificence, magnanimity, liberality, gentleness, prudence, wisdom.’ Cicero, like Plato, limits the list to four virtues.
Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Thomas Aquinas adapted them, and Saint Ambrose was the first to use the term ‘cardinal virtues.’
The three Theological Virtues are: Faith, Hope and Love (see I Corinthians 13).
Luke 2: 15-21 (NRSVA):
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Today’s Prayers (Sunday 31 December 2023):
The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church,’ the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is ‘Looking to 2024 – Freedom in Christ.’ This theme is introduced today by the Revd Duncan Dormor, USPG General Secretary:
‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.’ (Galatians 5:10)
As we step into the new year, we know that our world is a deeply uncertain place. Few of us predicted the events of the last few years – the Covid-19 pandemic, a major land war in Europe, the cost-of-living crisis or conflict in the Holy Land. We do not know what lies ahead in 2024.
We can only step forward, as Paul noted, ‘by faith and not by sight.’
As individuals, as flesh and blood, we all crave freedom and security – freedom from injustice and violence, and the security that a good livelihood, friends, community, just laws and the government bring. And so our hearts naturally go out to all who live with deep insecurity and oppression.
As we are called by God to walk faithfully through 2024, so are we called to a freedom rooted in Christ. This is an active, life-giving freedom, a freedom that reaches out towards others.
It is expressed in our solidarity with our sisters and brothers, and with our neighbours, global and local. A solidarity that sets people free, ourselves and others. It begins when we come before our loving God in prayer, and it equips us for the walk ahead.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (31 December 2023) invites us to pray in these words:
‘The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’. (Psalm 24: 1-2)
O God,
we have profoundly damaged creation.
Give us the strength to recover what we have tainted,
amplify the voices calling for renewal.
‘On the Seventh Day of Christmas … seven swans-a-swimming’ on the Grand Canal at Harold’s Cross, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)The Collect:
Almighty God,
who wonderfully created us in your own image
and yet more wonderfully restored us
through your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as he came to share in our humanity,
so we may share the life of his divinity;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
whose blessed Son shared at Nazareth the life of an earthly home:
help your Church to live as one family,
united in love and obedience,
and bring us all at last to our home in heaven;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Additional Collect:
God in Trinity,
eternal unity of perfect love:
gather the nations to be one family,
and draw us into your holy life
through the birth of Emmanuel,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Collect on the Eve of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus:
Almighty God,
whose blessed Son was circumcised
in obedience to the law for our sake
and given the Name that is above every name:
give us grace faithfully to bear his Name,
to worship him in the freedom of the Spirit,
and to proclaim him as the Saviour of the world;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Happy New Year
Yesterday’s Reflection
Continued Tomorrow
The Swan … once claimed to be the oldest pub in Lichfield, but has since been turned into a restaurant and apartments (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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