If Jesus Christ is the reason for the season, why are we busier buying and selling gifts, cards, trees, etc. more than celebrating the Christ Mass? We at St. John's Chapel will be meeting for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. We will worship our King on the eve and day marked to celebrate his birth.
While many people will be ending their Christmas celebration on the 24th, we at St. John's Chapel, along with millions of Christians, will just be beginning our celebration of the 12 days of Christmas. This celebration will culminate with Epiphany on 6th of January.
In the last four weeks before Christmas, we have been observing the season of Advent, in which we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The expectation is twofold - one of Chrsitmas to observe the historic first coming of Jesus Christ into the world as God incarnate, and the other of his second coming when Christ will come to take his bride the Church and judge the world. As Christians, we expect the Lord Christ to come again at any time and thus are prepared to meet him by being surrendered to him by the guidance of his Holy Spirit.
Jesus, the Holy Name of our Lord Christ was given to him by his earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, in adherence to divine direction. The angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and told her that she would bear a son and should call his name Jesus (Luke 1:31). The angel also appeared to Joseph and told him that his wife Mary would bear a son and that he should call him Jesus, because this son would save his people from their sin.
On the eighth day from Christmas Day (Dec. 25) is the first day of the new year in the Gregorian Calendar that is followed widely in the world. According to Luke 2:21, on the eighth day after the birth of the baby, which would be the day for his circumcision, the baby was named Jesus. This day, which is in the twelve days of Christmas (ending on Jan. 6) is celebrated in the church as the Holy Name.
The Holy Name, Jesus, is a transliteration of the Hebrew name "Joshua" or "Yehoshua", meaning "Jehovah is salvation." God sent his son, born of the Virgin Mary, in order to save people from their sin. The Son of God (who is the Word of God) took upon himself human flesh in order to carry the load of sin and pay the wages / price of sin, which is death. God, the Father, anointed this Son, which is why Jesus is known as the Christ (the Anointed One).
Salvation, the disciples of Jesus Christ claim, is not available through any other except the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:13), but it is available to as many as will call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:12-13; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; Titus 2:11).
