In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
(John 1:1-18, NAB - Gospel for the Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas, 31 December)
Holy Mother Church gives us this wonderful Gospel pericope on this final day of the calendar year as a way for us to remember what we have been celebrating this week: Eternity stepping into time.
God lives in eternity; we live within the confines of time. What God did for us was to step out of the vast infiniteness of eternity and enter into the finiteness of time. This is the beginning of the selfless act of love which ended upon Calvary's hill, with God giving His very life for the life of the world. Yet, it had to begin with this act of love - this beginning of the unconfined God entering into the confines of time and space - entering into the confines of our human weaknesses.
The very Word who spoke us and all of creation into being has Himself become one of us out of love for us. LOVE CAME DOWN! THE Word of Life, Light and Love became incarnate - donned our flesh - and entered into the confines of time and space so that we, who believe in His Name, could one day share eternity with Him. The Incarnation had to happen so that we could have the opportunity to share in the joy of the Resurrection, God willing we are found worthy to do so.
We are given this Gospel pericope at the end of the calendar year to remind ourselves that while time fleeting - as is our time on this earth - our end is not. We were not created to simply live in this world, where everything is finite, where everything is confined to time and space. Rather, we have been created to share eternity with the Word who spoke us into being, with His Father who loved us into being, and with the Holy Spirit who continues to guide all of creation back to the love of the Father.
We are given this Gospel pericope because we must remember that while we have the ability to be called "children of God" for simply believing in His Name, it is that personal relationship that we have with Love Himself that enables us who live in this world while at the same time to not be a part of this world. We have been called to something greater! We have been called to live outside of time while we continue to live within time. We have been called to live in Love for it is in that Love that we will leave time to enter into eternity.
We celebrate the fact that "Love came down" at this end of the year for, in the end, we are not called to live in time, but in eternity. Yet in all things, we are called to live in Love.
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As I was getting to celebrate Mass this morning, I was listening to 106.7 FM (WAOB - Pittsburgh / Greensburg). They were broadcasting the Mass from Hopedale, Ohio, from the Order of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Father Francis, who was a year ahead of me at the seminary, was celebrating the Mass. During his homily, I caught him saying:
2010 - Never Again
2011 - A taste of Heaven
Okay, I rolled my eyes a little. But as I thought about it, we will never see 2010 once the new year is ushered in. Yet, we come to recognize that in 2011, there will be a little "taste of heaven" if we keep in mind that amidst all the joys and sorrows this coming year, we cannot limit the power of the Holy Spirit, especially if we are always open to the workings of the Spirit.
Happy and Blessed New Year 2011!
Enjoy the journey . . .
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