Yesterday we celebrated the martyrdom of St. Stephen; today we read a resurrection account in which John, whose feast it is today, is featured; tomorrow will be the Holy Innocents. All of these expand our understanding of the Nativity: God became human in order for humanity to reach its full potential. John saw and he believed (Jn 20:8)...echoed in our popular proverb: Seeing is Believing. We might reverse this notion to put the emphasis on our faith, which allows us to see: We believe, therefore, we see with greater depth and clarity. John,, traditionally referred to as "the Beloved Disciple" played a special role as the very close friend of Jesus to whom he confided the care of his mother at the foot of the cross. His Gospel and letters soar with poetic insight into the divinity of Jesus and he speaks powerfully about the need to love one another in order to share more completely in the God-life. Indeed, the birth of Jesus is the foundation of the divine life made available to us through the resurrection. In baptism we "die with Christ" and so rise with him. We reflect today on this risen life as we contemplate the crib, cross and resurrection and draw more closely to the God who has given us such a gift.
Bro. Rene
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment