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.
Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2, 11-12, 13
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!
Alleluia JN 1:14A, 12A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him
he gave power to become the children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him
he gave power to become the children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 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-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.
Meditation: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"
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:
.
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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December 31,
2014. The Seventh Day in 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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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, Seventh Day within
the Octave of Christmas, JOHN 1:1-18
(1 John 2:18-21; Psalm 96)
(1 John 2:18-21; Psalm 96)
KEY VERSE: "And the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (v 14).
READING: By the time John wrote his gospel, Greeks had converted to the Church in significant numbers. The Jewish idea of the coming of the Messiah to save the world was foreign to the Greeks. How was John to present Christianity to the Greek world? The Greeks saw the "Logos" ("Word") as the creating and sustaining power of God that made the world and kept it in order. So John wrote that Jesus was the `Logos' who had come down to earth, the word made flesh. John began his gospel with a mystical hymn to Christ that summed up the whole Gospel: Jesus, the incarnate Word brought light and life into a world of darkness and death. Jesus did not become the "Word" at Bethlehem when he became flesh; he was God's Word from the beginning. Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus revealed the fullness of God's enduring love. Just as God dwelled with Israel in a Tabernacle during their wilderness journey, Jesus was the "tabernacle" of God's presence through the incarnation. Since God is spirit, no one has ever seen God. Only God's son, the Second Person of the Trinity, can make him known. John the Baptist gave testimony to Jesus, God's eternal Word full of grace, truth and love. Whoever is reborn through God's grace in baptism will share eternal life with Jesus.
REFLECTING: Make a New Year's resolution to bring God's love to others.
PRAYING: Lord God, thank you for speaking your greatest Word of love to us ̶ Jesus.
Optional Memorial of Sylvester I, pope
Pope Sylvester I succeeded St. Miltiades as Pope in 314. Since Sylvestor was unable to be present at the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325, he sent delegates of his own Roman clergy 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 near Nicomedia at the hands of Eusebius, bishop of that city. The Donation of Constantine to Pope Sylvester was supposedly issued to Sylvester for curing him of leprosy, granting the pope and his successors sovereignty and spiritual authority over Rome and the entire Western Roman Empire. Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople (the former name of Istanbul in Turkey) in 330 AD, which became the center of power of the Eastern Roman Empire, later the Byzantine Empire. Were the document genuine, the popes would have ruled as emperors in the West. A succession of Western Emperors who were not popes after Constantine suggests that the document was false.
Wednesday 31 December 2014
St Silvester I. 1 John
2:18-21. Let heaven and earth exult in joy!—Ps 95(96):1-2, 11-13 John 1:1-18.
The Word of God became
flesh.
Like the overture of a
musical composition, the prologue of John’s Gospel introduces the themes that
the evangelist will develop throughout his text, notably in Jesus’ discourses.
We will never exhaust the
depth of meaning in his affirmation that the pre-existent Word of God, the one
who is the object of our faith, took human flesh in the person of Jesus and
dwelt among us.
In every episode of this
gospel, Jesus reveals to us who God is and, as ‘the light of the human race’,
what it means to be fully human. Like the Baptist, we are called to witness to
this truth by our lives. We may then say with Paul, ‘For me, to live is Christ’
(Philippians 1:21).
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Full of Gratitude
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Oh Jesus, I am full of gratitude that you have taught me about
your real presence and the joy that comes from spending time with you. Give me
the grace to be faithful, because the most important thing in my life is to
surrender to you and know you better. Teach me to serve others—to give my time
and resources to those in need. Let me lose myself and find you.
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:
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
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)
THE END OF THE YEAR OF
GRACE, 2014
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