In A.D. 2025, the First Sunday after Christmas falls on the same day at the observance of the Feast of the Holy Innocents, Dec. 28th. The Collect for the day is the same as the First Collect appointed for Christmas Day, a composition by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer for the 1549 Book of Common Prayer based on John 1:9 and 1 John 1:5. The Gospel lesson, Matthew 1:18-25, is St. Matthew’s account of the first dream of Joseph, for this post illustrated by a 19th C. stained glass window in Paris, France. Another interpretation in a different artistic medium, a fresco at St. Martin’s Chapel, Brezenza, Austria is Illustration No. 23 the AIC Bookstore Publication, The Gospel of Matthew: Annotated & Illustrated, available through my Amazon Author Central page, with author royalties donated to the AIC online ministry.
My Podcast Homily for First Sunday after Christmas is available on the Podcast Homilies page. First Sunday after Christmas is also discussed in Episode Two of the AIC Christian Education Video series, Christmas: The Nativity of Our Lord. The audio version of Episode Two is linked from the Podcast Archive page. The Feast of the Holy Innocents is discussed and illustrated on the Fourth Day of Christmas in our video series, The Twelve Days of Christmas with the key word for the day being COMPASSION. All the other episodes in the series, covering the days from Dec. 25th to Jan. 5th, are linked from the Digital Library page.
I have been busy searching my image sources for historic Christian art to be used in the first half of A.D. 2026. I’ve added almost a hundred images. I will be loading the Epiphany graphics and appropriate links to the Welcome page during the Week of 1/5. As always, thank you for your interest and support. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!
Anglican Internet Church 
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