The Word Among Us

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the practice at year end to recall the events that shaped our journey and refresh our resolution to live as disciples of Christ in the New Year.

Word and Life

The reading from the First Letter of John is a warning against Antichrists.

* [2:18] It is the last hour: literally, “a last hour,” the period between the death and resurrection of Christ and his second coming. The antichrist: opponent or adversary of Christ; the term appears only in 1 John–2 John, but “pseudochrists” (translated “false messiahs”) in Mt 24:24 and Mk 13:22, and Paul’s “lawless one” in 2 Thes 2:3, are similar figures. Many antichrists: Matthew, Mark, and Revelation seem to indicate a collectivity of persons, here related to the false teachers.

* [2:19] Not really of our number: the apostate teachers only proved their lack of faith by leaving the community.

* [2:20] The anointing that comes from the holy one: this anointing is in the Old Testament sense of receiving the Spirit of God. The holy one probably refers to Christ. True knowledge is the gift of the Spirit (cf. Is 11:2), and the function of the Spirit is to lead Christians to the truth (Jn 14:17, 26; 16:13). (1 John, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 96 offers praise to God Who Comes in Judgement.

* [Psalm 96] A hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God (Ps 96:1–3), who is the sole God (Ps 96:4–6). To the just ruler of all belongs worship (Ps 96:7–10); even inanimate creation is to offer praise (Ps 96:11–13). This Psalm has numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Is 40–55, as does Ps 98. Another version of the Psalm is 1 Chr 16:23–33. (Psalms, PSALM 96 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John proclaims the Word Became Flesh.

* [1:1–18] The prologue states the main themes of the gospel: life, light, truth, the world, testimony, and the preexistence of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Logos, who reveals God the Father. In origin, it was probably an early Christian hymn. Its closest parallel is in other christological hymns, Col 1:15–20 and Phil 2:6–11. Its core (Jn 1:1–5, 10–11, 14) is poetic in structure, with short phrases linked by “staircase parallelism,” in which the last word of one phrase becomes the first word of the next. Prose inserts (at least Jn 1:6–8, 15) deal with John the Baptist. (John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Thomas Quinn comments that there will not be one “antichrist” but many. These may include: false prophets, blasphemers, corrupt leaders, those that love power and greed more than God. The list, unfortunately, may be endless.  It has even been used by Christians to defame and vilify other Christians.  Love one another. Jesus did make that clear.

St. Ignatius, in the spiritual exercises, asks us to choose a standard or side. Do you choose evil or good? Like St. John, St. Ignatius believed in the power that evil can have over us. We too need to be vigilant in this regard. If we cling to the standard of Christ, goodness and holiness will follow.  We will be spiritually stronger than any evil entity or idea. St. John also reminds us, in the Gospel today, that “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.” We know the way to spiritual security and joy. We have been given the law through Moses, and grace and truth through Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Let the eternal and true light of the world shine upon us. Live our lives in this new year by more closely following Jesus’ example; be joyful and love one another. (Quinn, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “The first-fruits of the Gospels,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"I think that John's Gospel, which you have enjoined us to examine to the best of our ability, is the first-fruits of the Gospels. It speaks of him whose descent is traced and begins from him who is without a genealogy... The greater and more perfect expressions concerning Jesus are reserved for the one who leaned on Jesus' breast. For none of the other Gospels manifested his divinity as fully as John when he presented him saying, 'I am the light of the world' (John 8:42), 'I am the way and the truth and the life' (John 14:6), 'I am the resurrection' (John 11:25), 'I am the door' (John 10:9), 'I am the good shepherd' (John 10:11)... We might dare say then that the Gospels are the first-fruits of all Scripture but that the first-fruits of the Gospels is that according to John whose meaning no one can understand who has not leaned on Jesus' breast or received Mary from Jesus to be his mother also." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1.21-23) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 John 2:18-21 comments that John encourages us not to be afraid. Why? Because we know the truth. Because we have received “the anointing that comes from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20). And that Holy One is “the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Even though we don’t know what the coming year might hold, we can cling to this truth, and that can prepare our hearts for whatever happens.

It’s true that we don’t know what this new year will hold. But it’s equally true that we know the One who holds the new year in his hands. He is in our corner, and we can trust in his love and fidelity.

So lift up your heart and walk boldly into the new year.

“Thank you, Jesus, that I can trust you completely.” (Meditation on 1 John 2:18-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the impact of docetism, a form of Gnosticism, that dismissed the divinity of Christ and valued the spiritual over the material. The Word, wisdom, sarx, and Christ are differentiated in the poetry and prose of the Prologue of the Gospel of John. We have seen the grace and truth, hesed and emet, from the Hebrew Testament. Friar Jude reminds us of Jesus' mission to reveal who the Father is and what He wants of us.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces spiritual writer Debie Thomas who considers the significance of salt to Jesus’ first listeners.

Salt poured out without discretion leaves a burnt, bitter sensation in its wake. It ruins what it tries to enhance. It repels.  

This, unfortunately, is the reputation Christianity has these days. We are known as the salt that exacerbates wounds, irritates souls, and ruins goodness. We are considered arrogant, domineering, obnoxious, and uninterested in enhancing anything but ourselves. We are known for hoarding our power, not for giving it away. We are known for shaming, not blessing. We are known for using our words to burn, not heal.  

This is not what Jesus intends when he calls us the salt of the earth…. Salt at its best sustains and enriches life. It pours itself out with discretion so that God’s kingdom might be known on the earth—a kingdom of spice and zest, a kingdom of health and wholeness, a kingdom of varied depth, flavor, and complexity.  

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes concrete the work of love, compassion, healing, and justice. It’s not enough to believe. It’s not enough to bask in our blessedness while creation burns. To be blessed, to be salt, to be followers of Jesus, is to take seriously what our identity signifies. (Rohr, n.d.) 

In the time of reflection on the past year, we ponder the connection of Word becoming flesh to our experience and plans as followers of Christ.

References

John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?1 

Meditation on 1 John 2:18-21. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 31, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/12/31/1169162/ 

1 John, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/2?18 

Psalms, PSALM 96 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/96?1 

Quinn, T. (2024, December 31). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Retrieved December 31, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/123124.html 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Why Does Salt Matter? Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 31, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/why-does-salt-matter/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt among Us. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 31, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=dec31 

Blessed by Abba

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, invite us to be grateful as children of God as we live in relationship with Jesus, human and Divine.

 

Ancient Connection

The reading from the Book of Numbers is the Priestly Benediction.

* [6:26] Peace: the Hebrew word Shalom includes the idea of happiness, good health, prosperity, friendship, and general well-being. To use this term as a greeting was to pray for all these things upon the one greeted.1

Psalm 67 declares that the Nations are called to praise God.

 * [Psalm 67] A petition for a bountiful harvest (Ps 67:7), made in the awareness that Israel’s prosperity will persuade the nations to worship its God.2

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians identifies us as God’s Free Children in Christ who pray ‘Abba! Father!’

* [4:1–7] What Paul has argued in Gal 3:26–29 is now elaborated in terms of the Christian as the heir (Gal 4:1, 7; cf. Gal 3:18, 29) freed from control by others. Again, as in Gal 3:2–5, the proof that Christians are children of God is the gift of the Spirit of Christ relating them intimately to God.3 

The Gospel of Luke describes the Visit of the Shepherds and the Circumcision when Jesus Is Named.

* [2:21] Just as John before him had been incorporated into the people of Israel through his circumcision, so too this child (see note on Lk 1:57–66).4 

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments that Mary’s greatness does not lie primarily in what she did, but rather in what she allowed God to do with and in her, in her total availability to God’s desire for her.

It is her inner attitude that is exemplary for us more importantly than what resulted from that attitude. What is truly great in Mary is that, being as human as we are, she remained always available to what God was asking of her, without clinging to her not being equal to God. We risk missing this point in extolling Mary.5 

Don Schwager quotes “By Christ's faith, hope, and love we are purified,” by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.

"He therefore received in the flesh the circumcision decreed by the law, although he appeared in the flesh absolutely without any blemish of pollution. He who came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3) - not in sinful flesh - did not turn away from the remedy by which sinful flesh was ordinarily made clean. Similarly, not because of necessity but for the sake of example, he also submitted to the water of baptism, by which he wanted the people of the new law of grace to be washed from the stain of sins... "The reason 'the child who was born to us, the son who was given to us ' (Isaiah 9:6), received the name Jesus (that is, 'Savior') does not need explanation in order to be understood by us, but we need eager and vigilant zeal so that we too may be saved by sharing in his name. Indeed, we read how the angel interprets the name of Jesus: 'He will save his people from their sins' (Matthew 1:21). And without a doubt we believe and hope that the one who saves us from sins is not failing to save us also from the corruptions which happen because of sins, and from death itself, as the psalmist testifies when he says, 'Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases' (Psalm 103:3). Indeed, with the pardoning of all of our iniquities, all our diseases will be completely healed when, with the appearance of the glory of the resurrection, our last enemy, death, will be destroyed... We read that circumcision was done with knives made of rock (Joshua 5:2), and the rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). And by Christ's faith, hope and love the hearts of the good are purified not only in baptism but furthermore in every devout action. This daily circumcision of ours (that is, the continual cleansing of our heart) does not cease from always celebrating the sacrament of the eighth day. (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.11)6

 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 2:16-21 comments that not all of us have mothers, spiritual or otherwise, to guide us in our faith. But we all have Mary, the perfect spiritual mother. Through her prayers of intercession, she continues to care for us.

Through her example in Scripture and her messages in places like Lourdes and Fatima, she continues to teach us how to reflect on the word of God. And through her motherly love, she is always ready to embrace us and draw us closer to her Son. Truly, she is blessed among women—and we are blessed to have her! “Jesus, thank you for sharing your mother with us. Holy Mary, pray for us. May this be a year of blessing and growth for all your children!”7 

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the blessing the Lord spoke to Moses. Jesus, status as a Jew is passed to Him from Mary. Our relation to God as Abba, reveals our ability to unite our Father to our deepest aspirations. Friar Jude reminds us how Mary reflects her Child and his mission as “Yahweh saves”.

 

Dorian Llywelyn SJ explores the enduring significance of this ancient feast, The Solemnity of the Mother of God, the title of which ‘contains the whole mystery of the Incarnation.’ Experts date Rylands 470 to the middle of the third century AD. This tiny papyrus is of great importance for understanding how early Christians regarded the Virgin Mary. It allows us to surmise reasonably that by 250 or so, Christians in Egypt had already been venerating the mother of Jesus for some time and seeking her protection. The historian and theologian Jaroslav Pelikan explained Theotokos – the Greek word we translate as ‘Mother of God’ – as meaning ‘the one who gave birth to the one who was God.’ Where Jesus had asked ‘who do people say I am?’, succeeding centuries were driven by the question ‘what do we say he is?’

The phrase ‘Mother of God’ and the Solemnity that the Catholic world celebrates on New Year’s Day appears at first glance to say little beyond the fact that Mary was the mother of Jesus. Yet in the same way that Mary’s womb ‘contained the God whom the universe cannot contain‘, as the Orthodox liturgical texts for Christmas say, her title ‘Mother of God’ contains whole worlds of meaning. The paradox of the Incarnation is, as a medieval English carol says, ‘heaven and earth in little space.’ Simply put, to call Mary ‘Mother of God’ states that her Son was divine. To say that Mary was a ‘birth-giver’ says that the divine Son was ‘born of a woman’ (Gal 4:4) and thus fully human. The phrase is a summary of the foundational belief that the ‘Word became flesh and pitched his tent amongst us’ (John 1:14). St John of Damascus, writing in the first half of the eighth century and summing up the teaching of the earlier Church Fathers, says that the title Theotokos ‘contains the whole mystery of the Incarnation.’8 

As we enter the new year, Richard Rohr, OFM, invites us to pray with the CAC staff and community with the words used to open the seventh and final CONSPIRE conference this past September.

In a world of fault lines and fractures,

we stand in a place where opposites come together,

awaiting the birth of what is to come.

If you are doubting, welcome.

If you are healing, welcome.

If you are angry at injustice, welcome.

We await a new genesis,

one more beginning in a series of starts,

trailing backwards in time to the very first day.

If you are afraid, welcome.

If you are joyful, welcome.

If you are longing to belong, welcome.

God’s generous rhythm of life, death, resurrection,

moving in and through all things,

the very breath and source of the cosmos itself.

Our pathways converge and continue,

each one of us a catalyst for loving action.

We, a community of saints.

Conspire.

Breathe with us.9 

At the start of a New Year, we reflect on our relationship with the divinity and humanity of Jesus as we express gratitude to God addressed as “Abba”.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Numbers, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/numbers/6
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 67 | USCCB. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/67
3	(n.d.). Galatians, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/4
4	(n.d.). Luke, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/2
5	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/010122.html
6	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=jan1
7	(n.d.). Meditation: Luke 2:16-21 - The Word Among Us. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/
8	(2015, December 29). The Solemnity of the Mother of God | Thinking Faith. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/solemnity-mother-god
9	(n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://cac.org/summary-a-time-of-unveiling-weekly-summary-2022-01-01/