JOHN, Evangelist, Feast

December 27, Monday        

Close to our Lord, obsessed by love. This may well be the marks of John the Evangelist. He had experienced in his person what it means to be loved by Jesus and to love in return. And Jesus was the Lord, God’s Son! In later life he was driven by this love, as his gospel and his first letter reveal to us. He was the man who preached love; the words he used, the urgency and insistence with which he spoke cannot come but from a man who lived this love deeply and who felt that this should be the mark too of the Christian communities.

 

First Reading: 1 John 1:1-4

From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.

We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!

 

Gospel: John 20:1-8

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, gasping for breath. “They took the Master from the tomb. We don’t know where they’ve put him.”

 Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stoping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. 

Prayer

Lord God, you are love itself.
We know that you loved us first
before we could ever love you.
Let this unforgettable experience
of your “beloved apostle” John
become also our deep and lasting experience.
May the love you have shown us
in your Son Jesus Christ
move us to love you very deeply in return
and overflow on all those we meet in life.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Proclaim the Lord whom you have seen, heard and touched

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. John the Evangelist, Jesus’ beloved disciple. Immediately after Christmas, liturgically the feast of St. John leads us closer to the crib of Jesus he teaches us lessons that help us enter deeply into the mystery of the Incarnation and the birth of the Son of God.

Today we begin reading from his first Letter, which we will ponder throughout the rest of the Christmas season. In his letter, John communicates the story of a God who became man: “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerning the Word of life, for the life was made visible, we have seen it and testify to it.” What did John see? His most spectacular vision is narrated in today’s gospel.

Although we are just starting the Christmas octave, today we have the Gospel passage that is often read during the Easter. While we identify John the evangelist with the “beloved disciple,” he invites each of us to contemplate the life of Jesus by imagining ourselves as the beloved disciple. As the disciple runs to the tomb, we are invited to have that same eagerness for the good news of the Lord.

We have just finished unwrapping Christmas presents, recalling the gift of this Holy Child wrapped in swaddling clothes. Today the gospel draws our attention to the linen cloths that wrapped the crucified body of Jesus. The beloved disciple believed, not because he saw the risen Jesus in glory, but because he sees the traces of God’s presence, the linen cloths that recall the incredible outpouring of God’s love in the life and death of Jesus. So it is with us. In this life we never get to have a glimpse the fullness of God’s presence, just the traces. It is our faith that allows us to see God present behind those traces.

In this Christmas season we may have taken up many acts of charity, generously sharing gifts with those in need. We have shared time with friends and loved ones. And we know of the hard work of justice and reconciliation and peace-making that goes on around us and in us all year long- this is how we share the Joy of Christmas with the people around us. And this is what John the evangelist reminds us today: “Share with others what we have heard, and seen, and looked upon, and touched, concerning the Word of Life” – this is what we are invited to proclaim, with our life as well as our words, about God’s presence in and around us.

 

Video available on Youtube: Proclaim the Lord whom you have seen, heard and touched