The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 5
“Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.”
Thomas Becket, 1170
December 29
Reflections for the Twelve Days of Christmas
Day 5: ‘Five Golden Rings’
Dear Faithful in Christ,
Grace and Peace to you on this observance of Thomas Becket. Follow me on this fifth day of Christmastide reflections.
Day FIVE: The ‘five golden rings’ can correlate to the five books of the Pentateuch. These are the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Genesis begins with Creation and then highlights human sin. Referred to as “the Law” by even Saint Paul, there are many rules of life that come from these five books.
On the whole, these books establish the covenant between God and humanity, and solidify it with cultural practices. God remains faithful through all human violations of this holy covenant, or contract.
This day, I would like to share with you a portion of a prayer forged from passages in the Pentateuch which include the Great Commandment, remind us of our part in fidelity to God, and orient our hearts and minds fully unto God. This prayer is used by those in the Jewish faith and is called by its first word, The ‘Shema,’ since its opening words are “Hear, O Israel” translated from “Shema Y’Israel.”
“4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. ”
May we be as steadfast in faith as Thomas Becket keeping God before us each day and each moment of our lives. Let us write God’s Words upon our hearts, ponder them, and allow them to guide our days.
In the blessed joy of the Incarnation,
Fr. Michael
A Collect for Guidance
The Book of Common Prayer, 832
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favor, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Collect for Thomas Becket
Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr, 1170
Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 569
O God, our strength and our salvation, who didst call thy servant Thomas Becket to be a shepherd of thy people and a defender of thy church; Keep thy household from all evil and raise up faithful pastors and leaders who are wise in the ways of the gospel; through Jesus Christ, the shepherd of our souls, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
