Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

December 27, 2019

Deacon Anthony J. Cincotta

Assistant Director for Retreat Ministry

 

First Letter of Saint John 1:1-4

Psalm 97

John 20:1a, 2-8

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of John the Apostle and Evangelist.  The witness of this disciple of Jesus is simply and even joyfully presented in our first reading.  Essentially, he is reporting what he and the other disciples have seen and heard in their own lives and now shares with all of us.  He was an eye witness during Jesus’ public ministry!  When Pope Francis began his papacy, he called all Catholics to be “JOYFUL.”  The Pope said, “If we have seen and heard the truth of God becoming human in our own lives then we must manifest that truth by our attitudes, our choices and our way of life.”  I believe by doing this we bring joy to the world.

The Season of Advent called us to patience.  During this, the Octave of Christmas, we are called to attend, to kneel at the crèche, to place our head on the shoulder or chest of the adult Jesus, to stand listening, longing and even agonizing at the foot of the cross, and to run – as today’s Gospel describes it, to run to the tomb, and see the evidence of the Resurrection in our life.

After Christmas we would think that the predominate feeling we would have would be “gratitude.”  Grateful, but not for personal gifts we may have received, but grateful at what family or friends have provided.  Grateful for what we have and who we have that love us.  Grateful, above all for the very gift of our lives and the goodness of God who has given us so much.

If we do not express our gratitude it is because we do not allow ourselves the humility, as in the disciple John, to receive Christ’s gracious presence.  The good news is that we still have time.  We are celebrating only the third day of the octave and there are five more days to become more attentive, and receptive to Jesus’ invitation to intimacy as a real disciple – like John, and to become a beloved disciple like him which will bring us great joy. 

Question of the Day: 

Prayer:  Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the Word made flesh, proclaimed by  the blessed Apostle John, may, through this mystery which we have celebrated, ever dwell among us.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  (Prayer after Communion, Friday, December 27, 2019.)

Prosit

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ENCOUNTERING DIVINE PHYSICIAN (Gospel of Luke 5: 17-26)

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