The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist, invite us to contemplate the Way that relationships with Jesus are developed through interactions with the people we encounter.
The reading from the First Letter of John proclaims the Word of Life.
* [1:1–4] There is a striking parallel to the prologue of the gospel of John (Jn 1:1–18), but the emphasis here is not on the preexistent Word but rather on the apostles’ witness to the incarnation of life by their experience of the historical Jesus. He is the Word of life (1 Jn 1:1; cf. Jn 1:4), the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible (1 Jn 1:2; cf. Jn 1:14), and was heard, seen, looked upon, and touched by the apostles. The purpose of their teaching is to share that life, called fellowship…with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ, with those who receive their witness (1 Jn 1:3; Jn 1:14, 16). (1 John, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
Psalm 97 praises the Glory of God’s Reign.
* [Psalm 97] The hymn begins with God appearing in a storm, a traditional picture of some ancient Near Eastern gods (Ps 97:1–6); cf. Ps 18:8–16; Mi 1:3–4; Heb 3:3–15. Israel rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers and their gods (Ps 97:7–9) and the rewarding of the faithful righteous (Ps 97:10–12). (Psalms, PSALM 97, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, the Empty Tomb tells of the Resurrection of Jesus.
* [20:3–10] The basic narrative is told of Peter alone in Lk 24:12, a verse missing in important manuscripts and which may be borrowed from tradition similar to John. Cf. also Lk 24:24.
* [20:6–8] Some special feature about the state of the burial cloths caused the beloved disciple to believe. Perhaps the details emphasized that the grave had not been robbed. (1 John, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
Rev. Rich Gabuzda comments that the triad, seeing, hearing, and proclaiming, serves as a concise summary of the apostolic life and calling, the life that has borne witness to Jesus, not only in that first generation of witnesses, but down to our own day.
When we consider what has impacted us most in our faith journey, certainly what we have seen and heard from other people remains a powerful influence . It may have been a teacher, or priest, or religious. Perhaps it was the example of parents, spouse, close friends, or even neighbors. It may be that reading about the life of a saint set us on fire.
An attractive joy manifested to others, a life deeply committed to practical acts of charity, an extraordinary resilience in the face of trial and suffering are eloquent testimonies. They provoke questions in the hearts of those who see and hear: “Why are you so happy? What moved you to do that? How have you been able to survive so much difficulty?” Responding to questions like that can deepen the witness. As we read in the First Letter of Peter: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” (Gabuzda, 2021)
Don Schwager quotes “The Word of Life was seen and touched,” by Severus of Antioch (488-538 AD).
"Given that this same John also said, 'No one has ever seen God' (John 1:18, 1 John 1:4:12), how can he assure us that the living Word of Life has been seen and touched? It is clear that it was in his incarnate and human form that he was visible and touchable. What was not true of him by nature became true of him in that way, for he is one and the same indivisible Word, both visible and invisible, and without diminishing in either respect he became touchable in both his divine-human nature. For he worked his miracles in his divinity and suffered for us in his humanity." (excerpt from CATENA) (Schwager, 2022)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 John 1:1-4 comments on how faith works for all of us. It’s not something we acquire on our own; it is first and foremost a gift from God. Out of sheer love for us, the Lord plants the seed of faith in our hearts when we are baptized. We respond to this gift by watering and fertilizing that seed so that it can grow within us. This clearly isn’t a once-and-done affair. God continues to pour out this gift on us, and our faith strengthens, day by day and year by year, as we continue to nurture it.
It’s only two days since we celebrated Jesus’ incarnation. Let’s continue the celebration today by thanking God for the gift of our faith. May we never take it for granted or neglect it! It is this gift that allows us to see Jesus in the manger at Christmas, and it is this gift that allows us to see the risen Jesus, alive and present with us today.
“Lord Jesus, help me to see, hear, and touch you today!” (Meditation on 1 John 1:1-4, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler compares the prologue of the First Letter of John to the prologue of John’s Gospel. The message of Jesus Incarnate God is in opposition to the heresy of the Docetists who believed the spiritual could not mix with the material. Friar Jude reminds us that the race to the tomb is won by the impulse of love but love bows to authority as the Beloved Disciple allows Peter to enter first.
Brian McLaren shares how Richard Rohr writes about how Jesus’ ministry reveals that true conversion stems from relationship, not words; from experience, not belief. Brian McLaren describes how Jesus’ invitation to participate in “God’s kingdom” impacts relationships, person by person.
The same thing happens with teachers, politicians, lawyers, engineers, and salespeople who take seriously their identity as participants in the kingdom of God. The way they teach, the way they develop public policies, the way they seek justice, the way they design and work with resources from God’s creation, the way they buy and sell—all of these are given dignity in the context of God’s kingdom, and soon, transformation begins to happen. After all, when you see your students, constituency, clients, or customers as people who are loved by God and as your fellow citizens in God’s kingdom, it becomes harder to rip them off or give them second best. And when enough people begin to live with that viewpoint, in little ways as well as big ones, over long periods of time, things truly change. . . . (McLaren, 2022)
We are moved along in our faith journey by the events inspired by the Spirit that have moved us closer to experience intimacy, compassion, and care.
References
Gabuzda, R. (2021, December 27). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/122722.html
John, CHAPTER 20. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/20?1
McLaren, B. D. (2022, December 27). Jesus' Person-to-Person Ministry — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jesus-person-to-person-ministry-2022-12-27/
Meditation on 1 John 1:1-4. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/27/568212/
1 John, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/1?1
Psalms, PSALM 97. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/97?1
Schwager, D. (2022, December 25). John Saw the Word of God Made Flesh and Believed. YouTube. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec27
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