LAST DAY OF THE YEAR

December 31, Friday

7TH DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS

 

Today the liturgy fits in very well with the celebration of New Year’s Eve: it both looks forward to the end of time (first reading) and back to the beginning: to the Word that created all and came among people as the living Word, Jesus, to make a new beginning with us. And that’s life: the end of what is past, a new beginning to be made ever anew. It was a mixture of joys shared together and miseries that were lighter when they too were borne together. And a time for which, after all, we are grateful to one another and to God. A turning point is also a time of hope. The past is gone; we look forward. We say goodbye and we welcome what is coming with hope, for the Lord is with us; we resume our journey together as God’s pilgrim people.

 

First Reading: 1 John 2:18-21

Children, time is just about up. You heard that Antichrist is coming. Well, they’re all over the place, antichrists everywhere you look. That’s how we know that we’re close to the end.

They left us, but they were never really with us. If they had been, they would have stuck it out with us, loyal to the end. In leaving, they showed their true colors, showed they never did belong.

But you belong. The Holy One anointed you, and you all know it. I haven’t been writing this to tell you something you don’t know, but to confirm the truth you do know, and to remind you that the truth doesn’t breed lies.

 

Gospel: John 1:1-18

The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
    God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
    in readiness for God from day one.

Everything was created through him;
    nothing—not one thing!—
    came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
    and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
    the darkness couldn’t put it out.

There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

The Life-Light was the real thing:
    Every person entering Life
    he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
    the world was there through him,
    and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
    but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
    who believed he was who he claimed
    and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
    their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
    not blood-begotten,
    not flesh-begotten,
    not sex-begotten.

The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish.

John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.”

We all live off his generous bounty,
        gift after gift after gift.
    We got the basics from Moses,
        and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
    This endless knowing and understanding—
        all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
    No one has ever seen God,
        not so much as a glimpse.
    This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
        who exists at the very heart of the Father,
        has made him plain as day.

 

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. Amen.

 

Reflection:

An end that speaks of the beginning!

Today is the last day of the year, that has not been an easy year for many. Yet, today’s gospel reading does not speak about an ending but a beginning. Authors of books give emphasis on the first page of their books to give the reader a bird’s eye-view of their work to capture the interest and curiosity of the reader.

To introduce his Gospel, John composes this hymn. From the time when the Church introduced specific readings from the Bible for the liturgy of the day, the Prologue to John’s Gospel was the traditionally assigned for Christmas Day, and for the end of the year too – because it introduces the story of the relationship of God with his people – story of a God who loved to walk with his people.

It was God’s Word or the Wisdom of God that created the universe. Now that Word takes the human form decides to live with his people, whom he had created. The Book of Genesis speaks of a God who used to walk with Adam and Eve as the best friends in the Garden. But they, through their disobedience, fall away from the grace of God. John in his prologue speaks of a similar situation: God the creator of the universe, comes to his own people to live with them, but unfortunately, the people refuse to accept him. God who is the light, is now rejected by this world of darkness.

We come to the end of a year and listen to what the Word of God says to us. It helps us look back to evaluate and to look forward in hope. As we stand on the threshold of another year, we take time to recall the greatest event of all: God has entered our world, making it his permanent dwelling.

As the year 2021 draws to a close, today’s gospel brings us back to the beginning of all time.
Let us set aside some time today, to reflect on how the light of God’s presence has impacted our life during this past year. Let us be grateful and give thanks for all we have received from God directly and through the gift of other people. It is in receiving God’s love present in Jesus that we are empowered to share that love to others.

At the end of the year, we hear about the beginnings. We are reminded that everything comes from God and belongs to Him. He takes us forward to a new creation, a new birth, a new beginning, another new year. The Word of God penetrates within each person and makes us feel accepted as a son, as a daughter of God. This is the power of the Word of God. Let us leave aside our sinful past and look to the future of being a child of God.

 

Video available on Youtube: An end that speaks of the beginning!