The
Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
Lectionary: 204
Lectionary: 204
Children,
it is the last hour;
and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,
so now many antichrists have appeared.
Thus we know this is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;
if they had been, they would have remained with us.
Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number.
But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,
and you all have knowledge.
I write to you not because you do not know the truth
but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.
and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,
so now many antichrists have appeared.
Thus we know this is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;
if they had been, they would have remained with us.
Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number.
But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,
and you all have knowledge.
I write to you not because you do not know the truth
but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.
R.
(11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
In the
beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
Tuesday
(December 31): "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"
Meditation: Why does John the Evangelist begin his gospel with a
description of the Word of God which began the creation of the universe and
humankind in the first book of Genesis? The “word of God” was a common
expression among the Jews. God’s word in the Old Testament is an active,
creative, and dynamic word. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made”
(Psalm 33:6). “He sends forth his commands to the earth; his word runs swiftly”
(Psalm 147:15). “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer
which breaks the rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 23:29)? The writer of the Book of
Wisdom addresses God as the one who “made all things by your word” (Wisdom
9:1). God’s word is also equated with his wisdom. “The Lord by wisdom founded
the earth” (Proverbs 3:19).The Book of Wisdom describes “wisdom” as God’s
eternal, creative, and illuminating power. Both “word” and “wisdom” are seen as
one and the same. “For while gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in
its swift course was now half gone, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven,
from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern
warrior carrying the sharp sword of your authentic command” (Book of Wisdom
18:14-16).
John describes Jesus as God’s creative,
life-giving and light-giving word that has come to earth in human form. “God so
loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus is the wisdom and power of
God which created the world and sustains it who assumed a human nature in order
to accomplish our salvation in it. Jesus became truly man while remaining truly
God. “What he was, he remained, and what he was not he assumed” (from an early
church antiphon for morning prayer). Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God who,
without ceasing to be God and Lord, became a man and our brother. From the time
of the Apostles the Christian faith has insisted on the incarnation of God’s
Son “who has come in the flesh” (1 John 4:2)
.
Gregory of Nyssa, one of the great early church fathers (330-395 AD) wrote: Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Savior; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator. Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state?
.
Gregory of Nyssa, one of the great early church fathers (330-395 AD) wrote: Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Savior; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator. Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state?
Christians never cease proclaiming anew the
wonder of the Incarnation. The Son of God assumed a human nature in
order to accomplish our salvation in it. The Son of God ...worked with human
hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a
human heart he loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one
of us, like to us in all things except sin (Gaudium et Spes).
If we are going to behold the glory of God we
will do it through Jesus Christ. Jesus became the partaker of our humanity so
we could be partakers of his divinity (2 Peter 1:4). God's purpose for us, even
from the beginning of his creation, is that we would be fully united with Him.
When Jesus comes God is made known as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. By our being united in Jesus, God becomes our Father and we become his
sons and daughters. Do you thank the Father for sending his only begotten Son
to redeem you and to share with you his glory?
"Almighty God and Father of light, your
eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night. Open
our hearts to receive his life and increase our vision with the rising of dawn,
that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace.”
 Looking for You |
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Seventh Day of the
Octave of Christmas
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John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All
things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came
to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man
named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to
testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming
into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own
people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to
become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not
by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man´s decision but of God.
And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his
glory, the glory as of the Father´s only Son, full of grace and truth. John
testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said,
´The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before
me.´" From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through
Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the
Father´s side, has revealed him.
Introductory Prayer: Jesus, I believe that you are the Word
come into the world. I know you speak to me of the Father, of his truth and
love. I know that I can trust you to bring me to the Father. In spite of the
smallness of my heart, you come in search of me. Thank you for coming to look
for me.
Petition: Help me look for you more today, Lord.
1. He Came to His Own: Our God came looking for us. “It is not that
we have loved God, but that he has first loved us” (Cf. 1 John 4:10). What is
it that so attracts God to us? The Bible uses images of the love of a spouse
or a parent to help us understand how deeply God desires to make us his own.
He knows that this is where our true happiness lies. Often, he looks for man
in mysterious ways, but in Jesus Christ he plainly shows himself and his
desire to be with us. Do I appreciate the gift of the Incarnation? Do I
understand a bit better each day how humbly and powerfully God looks for my
love?
2. Born of God: Our transformation into Christ is a gift.
God offers us this gift, and if we are open to it, he deeply changes our
relationship with him. Through Christ we have confidence to come before the
Father and call him our “Father,” not just our “Creator.” Through Christ we
have the power to lay aside sin and put on the holiness of God. Through
Christ we have the possibility of leaving a mark on the history of salvation,
helping to bring his Good News to the world. This comes from God’s goodness
and mercy. Do I appreciate the gift of my divine adoption? Do I try to live
as a new man or woman, born of the Spirit?
3. Full of Grace and Truth:Jesus Christ shows us what it is to be truly
human. The power and beauty of his life, the unselfishness of his total love,
help us see the heights to which we are called. He shows us that it is possible
to be holy. He leads the way; we have only to follow in his footsteps. With
him we can be confident that the good we have done in our lives will last
forever. Do I let myself fall in love with Christ each day? Am I fascinated
with him to the level that I discover something new in him each day? Can I
say that each day he wins me more and more for his cause?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, thank you for coming to look for me.
Today I want to look for you, too. Help me to discover you in faith. Help me
to see the signs of your presence in the Church, the sacraments, and the good
you sow in those around me. Give me new ears and an open heart to listen to
your Word, and to welcome you into my life.
Resolution:Today I will speak with someone about Jesus’
love for us as demonstrated through his Incarnation.
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, JOHN 1:1-18
Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas
(1 John 2:18-21; Psalm 96)
Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas
(1 John 2:18-21; Psalm 96)
KEY VERSE: “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (v. 9)
READING: John began his gospel with a mystical hymn t Christ (see Col. 1:15-20; Eph. 1:3-14). In the first act of creation, God conquered the darkness by speaking a word that brought light into the world (Gn 1:3). Christ, the “Word” of God, came to bring this light to his own people, but many chose to live in darkness by refusing to believe in him. Those who did accept him were empowered through baptism to become “children of light (Eph 5:8). The ruler of darkness had no power over the light of grace that Christ gave. Because of God’s enduring love, God dwells with us in a new tabernacle, Jesus. John the Baptist gave testimony to God’s Incarnate Word, Jesus.
REFLECTING: Am I a source of light or darkness to others?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, bring your light to me and all whom I love.
Optional Memorial of Sylvester I, pope
Pope Sylvester I succeeded St. Miltiades as Pope in 314. Since he himself was unable to be present at the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325, he sent delegates to represent him. The story of his having baptized the Roman Emperor Constantine is pure fiction, as evidence shows that the emperor received this rite at the hands of Eusebius, bishop. The Donation of Constantine to Pope Sylvester is a fraudulent Roman imperial edict supposedly issued to Sylvester for curing him of leprosy, granting the pope and his successor’s sovereignty over Rome and the entire Western Roman Empire. Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople (Istanbul in Turkey) in 330 AD. Constantinople became the center of power of the Eastern Roman Empire, and later the Byzantine Empire. If the document had been genuine, the popes would have ruled as emperors in the West. Father Time, representing the passing of the old year, has its roots in the feast of St. Sylvester. In Northern Europe, "Sylvester Night" is celebrated on New Year's Eve.
Let heaven and earth exult in joy!
The Word of God became flesh.
The magnificent prologue to John’s Gospel may be likened to a musical overture introducing key themes that the evangelist will develop in the rest of the work, or to a lens through which the entire gospel, rich in imagery and profound in its theology, can be viewed. For St Augustine, quoting another writer with approval, this prologue should be ‘inscribed in letters of gold’ and prominently displayed in every church. At the heart of the text is consoling affirmation that, reborn in the Spirit, we who believe in Jesus’ name have been empowered to become children of God. Let us pray that, with an abiding sense of God’s presence, we may enter more fully into this great mystery of love in the coming year.
December 31
St. Sylvester I
(d. 335)
St. Sylvester I
(d. 335)
When you think of this pope, you think of the Edict of Milan, the
emergence of the Church from the catacombs, the building of the great
basilicas, Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter’s and others, the Council of Nicaea
and other critical events. But for the most part, these events were planned or
brought about by Emperor Constantine.
A great
store of legends has grown up around the man who was pope at this most
important time, but very little can be established historically. We know for
sure that his papacy lasted from 314 until his death in 335. Reading between
the lines of history, we are assured that only a very strong and wise man could
have preserved the essential independence of the Church in the face of the
overpowering figure of the Emperor Constantine. The bishops in general remained
loyal to the Holy See and at times expressed apologies to Sylvester for
undertaking important ecclesiastical projects at the urging of Constantine.
Comment:
It takes deep humility and courage in the face of criticism for a leader to stand aside and let events take their course, when asserting one’s authority would only lead to useless tension and strife. Sylvester teaches a valuable lesson for Church leaders, politicians, parents and others in authority.
It takes deep humility and courage in the face of criticism for a leader to stand aside and let events take their course, when asserting one’s authority would only lead to useless tension and strife. Sylvester teaches a valuable lesson for Church leaders, politicians, parents and others in authority.
Quote:
To emphasize the continuity of Holy Orders, the recent Roman breviary in its biographies of popes ends with important statistics. On the feast of Saint Sylvester it recounts: "He presided at seven December ordinations at which he created 42 priests, 25 deacons and 65 bishops for various sees." The Holy Father is indeed the heart of the Church's sacramental system, an essential element of its unity.
To emphasize the continuity of Holy Orders, the recent Roman breviary in its biographies of popes ends with important statistics. On the feast of Saint Sylvester it recounts: "He presided at seven December ordinations at which he created 42 priests, 25 deacons and 65 bishops for various sees." The Holy Father is indeed the heart of the Church's sacramental system, an essential element of its unity.
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 1,1-18
Lectio:
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
1) Opening prayer
Loving Father,
You gave us your Son Jesus Christ
and let him share our poverty.
He brought us grace upon grace,
for all that comes from you is a free gift.
Accept our thanks for the moments
when we accepted your gifts
and shared them with one another.
Accept our thanks for the times
we listened attentively to your Son’s words
and put them into practice.
Help us go forward with hope and joy
with joy and mutual encouragement.
with the companion in life you have given us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
You gave us your Son Jesus Christ
and let him share our poverty.
He brought us grace upon grace,
for all that comes from you is a free gift.
Accept our thanks for the moments
when we accepted your gifts
and shared them with one another.
Accept our thanks for the times
we listened attentively to your Son’s words
and put them into practice.
Help us go forward with hope and joy
with joy and mutual encouragement.
with the companion in life you have given us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – John 1, 1-18
In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the
Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came
into being, not one thing came into being except through him. What has come
into being in him was life, life that was the light of men; and light shines in
darkness, and darkness could not overpower it. A man came, sent by God. His
name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that
everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, he was to bear
witness to the light. The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone;
he was coming into the world. He was in the world that had come into being
through him, and the world did not recognise him. He came to his own and his
own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to
become children of God, to those who believed in his name who were born not
from human stock or human desire or human will but from God himself. The Word
became flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has
from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John
witnesses to him. He proclaims: 'This is the one of whom I said: He who comes
after me has passed ahead of me because he existed before me.' Indeed, from his
fullness we have, all of us, received -- one gift replacing another, for the
Law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. No
one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart,
who has made him known.
3) Reflection
• The Prologue is the first thing which one
sees in opening the Gospel of John. But it was the last one to
be written. It is the final summary, placed at the beginning. In it, John
describes the way of the Word of God. It was at the side of God, before the
creation, and through him all things were created, Everything which exists is
an expression of the Word of God. As it happens with the Wisdom of God, (Pr 8,
22-31), in the same way also the Word wishes to get closer to us and becomes
flesh in Jesus. It comes in our midst, and carries out its mission and returned
to God. Jesus is this Word of God. Everything that it says and does is
communication which reveals the Father to us.
• In saying: “In the beginning was the Word”, John recalls the first phrase of the Bible which says: “In the beginning God created heaven and earth” (Gen 1, 1). God created all things by means of his Word. “He speaks and everything is made” (Ps 33, 9; 148, 5). All creatures are an expression of the Word of God. This living Word of God, present in all things, shines in darkness. Darkness tries to overpower it, but it could not succeed. The search for God which is always new, is reborn in the human heart. Nobody succeeds in covering it. We cannot bear to live without God for a long time!
• John the Baptist comes to help people to discover and to relish this luminous and consoling presence of the Word of God in life. The witness of John the Baptism has been very important, so much so that many people thought that he was the Christ (Messiah) (Acts 19, 3; Jn 1, 20). This is why the Prologue clarifies saying: “John was not the light!. He has come to bear witness to the light!”
• Thus as the Word of God manifests itself in nature, in creation, so also it is manifested in the “world”, that is in the history of humanity, particularly, in the history of the People of God. But the “world” does not recognize, does not receive the Word. “He came to his own and his own people did not accept him”.Here when he says people , John wants to indicate the system of the empire as well as that of the religion of the time, both of them closed up in themselves and, because of this, incapable to recognize the Good News (Gospel), the luminous presence of the Word of God.
• But the persons who open themselves to accept the Word, become sons and daughters of God. The person becomes son or daughter of God not because of his/her own merits, neither because of belonging to the race of Israel, but because of the simple fact of having trust and believing that God in His goodness, accepts and receives us. The Word of God penetrates within the person and makes the person feel accepted as a son, as a daughter of God. This is the power of the grace of God.
• God does not want to remain far away from us. Because of this, His Word, gets closer and becomes present in our midst in the Person of Jesus. The Prologueliterally says: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us”. In ancient times, at the time of Exodus, in the desert, God lived in a tent among the people (Ex 25, 8). Now, the tent in which God dwells with us is Jesus, “filled with grace and truth”. Jesus comes to reveal who is this our God, present in everything, from the beginning of creation.
• In saying: “In the beginning was the Word”, John recalls the first phrase of the Bible which says: “In the beginning God created heaven and earth” (Gen 1, 1). God created all things by means of his Word. “He speaks and everything is made” (Ps 33, 9; 148, 5). All creatures are an expression of the Word of God. This living Word of God, present in all things, shines in darkness. Darkness tries to overpower it, but it could not succeed. The search for God which is always new, is reborn in the human heart. Nobody succeeds in covering it. We cannot bear to live without God for a long time!
• John the Baptist comes to help people to discover and to relish this luminous and consoling presence of the Word of God in life. The witness of John the Baptism has been very important, so much so that many people thought that he was the Christ (Messiah) (Acts 19, 3; Jn 1, 20). This is why the Prologue clarifies saying: “John was not the light!. He has come to bear witness to the light!”
• Thus as the Word of God manifests itself in nature, in creation, so also it is manifested in the “world”, that is in the history of humanity, particularly, in the history of the People of God. But the “world” does not recognize, does not receive the Word. “He came to his own and his own people did not accept him”.Here when he says people , John wants to indicate the system of the empire as well as that of the religion of the time, both of them closed up in themselves and, because of this, incapable to recognize the Good News (Gospel), the luminous presence of the Word of God.
• But the persons who open themselves to accept the Word, become sons and daughters of God. The person becomes son or daughter of God not because of his/her own merits, neither because of belonging to the race of Israel, but because of the simple fact of having trust and believing that God in His goodness, accepts and receives us. The Word of God penetrates within the person and makes the person feel accepted as a son, as a daughter of God. This is the power of the grace of God.
• God does not want to remain far away from us. Because of this, His Word, gets closer and becomes present in our midst in the Person of Jesus. The Prologueliterally says: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us”. In ancient times, at the time of Exodus, in the desert, God lived in a tent among the people (Ex 25, 8). Now, the tent in which God dwells with us is Jesus, “filled with grace and truth”. Jesus comes to reveal who is this our God, present in everything, from the beginning of creation.
4) Personal questions
• Everything that exists is an expression of the Word of God, a
revelation of his presence. Am I sufficiently contemplative to be able to
receive and experience this universal presence of the Word of God?
• What does it mean for me to be called son of God?
• What does it mean for me to be called son of God?
5) Concluding Prayer
The Lord comes,
he is coming to judge the earth;
he will judge the world with saving justice,
and the nations with constancy. (Ps 96,13)
he is coming to judge the earth;
he will judge the world with saving justice,
and the nations with constancy. (Ps 96,13)
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