If Christmas is the story of God's outpouring of love...and indeed it is, for Love has come to earth in the form of a little child, then the feast of St. John the Apostle, the Beloved Disciple, fits well into the Christmas Octave's reflections on the meaning of Christmas. John wrote with great insight about Jesus, his best friend; he had a long life of meditating on Jesus and of preaching about him. Towards the end of his life, he would simply sum up his entire message with the words, "Children, love one another." It sounds easy enough, but yet we know it is not. It demands patience, relinquishment of our time, our plans, our ways of doing things, our wants, our wills. Yet, what greater satisfaction can there be than to put aside ourselves, or as many have done, laid down their lives for others?: No one can count the hours, the sacrifices parents make in raising their children, but to see them grow up into solid, loving people, makes all the efforts worthwhile.
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God: everyone who loves is begotten by God and kows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love." (1 Jn 4:7-8)
Bro. Rene
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