January 6 (2023-2024)

Every Eucharist we celebrate is about the victorious power of the resurrection and the victory that we share in Christ.

‌The Early Church used many symbols to help spread the Good News of Christ and the resurrection.‌

Some of the symbols are popular and well-known, such as the Ichthus (Jesus fish).

But there is one symbol used by the early Church that declared Jesus as Victor; today, it is more popular in the Eastern Christian Tradition.

It is actually the one that is close to my heart, and I always have it with me.

‌The symbol was a symmetrical cross, and on the four points of the cross stood initials from left to right: IC, the Greek letters for the first and last letters of the name Jesus; XC, the letters for the word Christos; and finally, the word NIKA.

‌I'm sure you know the clothing brand Nike - yes, Nike comes from the Greek word: NIKA, which means "Victor, Conquer, Overcome."

‌That symbol emphasized that Jesus Christ is the Victor. Jesus is the resurrected Lord and King.

‌These early Christian symbols were written on ancient christians catacombs, some tattoo it on bodies as visual representations of truth and identity, and belonging to that victory.

‌In today’s First Reading Saint John explains, with a few verses earlier: “for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4–5

‌Look, Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection, has conquered the power of evil, sin, and death.

He has overcome the “world” (a way of life contrary to God).

It is hard to see the victory in our lives that Saint John speaks of.

‌We are surrounded by brokenness, sin, evil, and our own failures.

‌So what is happening?

‌The victory that Jesus won is the reality, but we only see it partly.

‌We will see the fullness of this victory when he returns.

When a woman is pregnant the baby is in the world, but it has yet to be born.

The baby is growing in her womb. The parents will speak to the baby, watch the child kick, have baby showers knowing that the baby is present … but still the baby is not yet in the world.

‌Our lives can reflect this tension of the victory of Christ. It is already here, but we don’t always see the physical presence of that.

‌That is why we Celebrate the Eucharist - it is a reminder of that Victory, a moment of hope.

‌Hope that sin, suffering, death does not have the final word in our lives.

‌That Eucharist is about the victorious power of the resurrection and the victory that we share in Christ.

‌We are conquerors in Christ.