Monday, June 24 : Saint Maximus of Turin

Rightly indeed can John the Baptist say of the Lord our Savior: “He must increase but I must decrease” (Jn 3,30). The statement is being fulfilled at this very moment: at Christ’s birth the days grow longer, at John’s they grow shorter… When the Savior appears it is clear that the day increases and it declines at the birth of the last of the prophet’s, for it is written: “The Law and the prophets lasted until John” (Lk 16,16). Inevitably the observance of the Law sank in shadow when the grace of the Gospel began to shine. The glory of the New Testament takes the place of the prophecy of the Old… The evangelist says with regard to our Lord Jesus Christ: “He was the true light who enlightens every man” (Jn 1,9)… It was when the duration of the night was extending over almost the whole of the day that our Lord’s coming suddenly cast all its brightness. If his birth cast out the darkness of humankind’s sins, his coming put an end to night and brought us light and day… Our Lord says that John is a lamp: “He was a burning and shining lamp” (Jn 5,35). But the light of a lamp pales when the sun shines: its flame dies down, overcome by an even more radiant light. What sensible person uses a lamp in full sunlight?… Who would still come for John’s baptism of repentance (Mk 1,4) when Jesus’ baptism brings salvation?

maronite readings – rosary,team