Quote/s of the Day – 28 December – The Feast of the Holy Innocents – The Fourth Day of the Christmas Octave
“These then, whom Herod’s cruelty
tore as sucklings from their mothers’ bosom,
are justly hailed as “infant martyr flowers”;
they were the Church’s first blossoms,
matured by the frost of persecution
during the cold winter of unbelief.”
St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of the Church
“The star of Bethlehem
shines forth in the dark night of sin.
Upon the radiance
that goes forth from the manger,
there falls the shadow of the cross.
In the dark of Good Friday, the light is extinguished
but it rises more brightly, as the sun of grace.
on the morning of the resurrection.
The road of the incarnate Son of God,
is through the cross and suffering.
to the splendour of the resurrection.
To arrive with the Son of Man,
through suffering and death,
at this splendour of the resurrection,
is the road for each one of us,
for all mankind.”
AnaStpaul 
Annie, I confess to being a compulsive timeline person, goes with nursing, and I have always had a problem with the Nativity story as it relates to a timeline. Birth, Shepherds,Epiphany, and then I get confused. I think it continues as Presentation, Wise-men, Flight to Egypt, and return after Herod dies. The forty days before Mary could go into the Temple because they couldn’t have left to go anywhere before that. Where did I go wrong? Oh wise and lovely dearest one can you set me (again) on the right path?
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It IS rather confusing but Holy Mother Church has put the story of Christmas close by in each liturgical celebration.
So Epiphany – which is the 3 Magi or Wise Men, actually took place, it is believed, quite a way after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem – according to the Infancy Narratives of Pope Benedict, Jesus might have been a toddler already (this is also explained and presumed by exegesis and other theologians.) In other words, the 40 days had long taken place. Only, thereafter, did both Joseph and the Magi receive their dreams to go to Egypt for Joseph and to go home another way, for the Magi.
Make sense Hughie?
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