1231 Reflection -- John 1:1-18

Gospel

31 December 2017

             The First Sunday of Christmas                                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 into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he 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 into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

It is rather ironic that this Gospel, minus the last few verses, is the same exact Gospel assigned to Christmas Day.  If it were not for the fact that Christians tend to go to Christmas Day Mass in shamefully low numbers, it might seem rather redundant and unnecessary.  And since this is the Sunday after Christmas Day, again on this Low Sunday, numbers will likely be sadly low.  But there is something powerful about this message from John that speaks to the truth of the Christmas message that God has broken into the midst of this world.  And given the fact that by this First Sunday, this year the seventh of the twelve days of Christmas, this Gospel is being sounded forth at a time when most of the world has quickly forgotten Christmas and moved on to New Year and all that lies beyond.  Today this Gospel continues to sound forth the true and enduring message that our God is not a distant God, but one who is always in our midst to bring us into a greater knowledge and participation in the Kingdom of God that endures forever.

Father Timothy+