READINGS for 2008-12-27
Feast of St. John, Apostle
mIssIONARY ANYWhERE
… so she ran and went to Simon Peter… – John 20:2
Marjorie Dorr, a known executive in the health care industry, listed in Forbes magazine as one of America’s top business leaders, and a committed Christian, once shared that she underwent a crisis of searching for fulfillment. Prompted by her desire to move from success to significance, she went back to her roots by devouring God’s Word and joining a Bible sharing group. In the process of her introspection, she flirted with the idea of going back to school to take up Divinity and be a missionary. Suddenly it struck her. “I am a missionary! Corporate America needs missionaries!”
It’s a wonder for me why I would somehow get close to popular people who are in active or even fulltime service of the Lord. They’ll be my cell group buddies or even barkada. This has somehow planted the idea in me that someday I will quit my job to do fulltime service for the Lord — an event that has yet to happen! Like Marjorie, it occurred to me, I am in fulltime service! I am a corporate and business missionary. Anywhere I go is my mission field!
Just like Mary Magdalene who proclaimed about Christ’s resurrection, may we persevere in our service knowing that it is Jesus whom we serve. Ariel Driz
REFLECTION:
Am I conscious of the fact that anywhere I go, I represent Jesus?
Lord Jesus, may I always be reminded that anywhere I go,You expect me to be Your ambassador to men. Grant me the grace to be a missionary for You. Amen.
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1st READING
The Gospel of John and his three letters all reveal to us something of the depth of God’s love for His people. We discover that in John, or the community to which he belongs, there is a deep and profound understanding of the call to receive God’s love into our lives, and then to share it with others. It will be very difficult for us to share God’s love with others if we have not first received and experienced it ourselves.
1 John 1:1-4
1 Beloved: What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life — 2 for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us — 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.
P S A L M
Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12
R: Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
1 The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. (R) 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. (R) 11 Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. 12 Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name. (R)
GOSPEL
John obviously holds a special place in the heart of Jesus. Each of us has special relationships that go a little deeper than the rest of the relationships in our lives. I am sure the same was true for Jesus in His humanity. We draw strength from our relationships with one another, just as we ought to draw strength from our relationship with Jesus. He is not an impersonal being distant from His creation. He is a God who became one with us in the Incarnation.
John 20:2-8
2 On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. 6 When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, 7 and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. 8 Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.
my reflections
think: It will be very difficult for us to share God’s love with others if we have not first received and experienced it ourselves.
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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________ _________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Zechariah 1-4
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IN THE SCHOOL OF THE APOSTLE JOHN
As a teacher of Sacred Scriptures, I had some difficulties in writing today’s reflection. The Church celebrates the feast of St. John and presents a gospel that tells about the Beloved Disciple who runs with Peter to the tomb of Jesus. The feast goes back to a time when it was thought that the apostle John, the evangelist of the Fourth Gospel and the Beloved Disciple, were one and the same person. But Bible scholars give us convincing reasons to come to the conclusion that there were probably three different persons. Nevertheless, let’s try to approach the mystery from a point that avoids scholarly discussions.
John’s name means “God is gracious.” He belonged to the restricted group of Peter and James that Jesus took with Him on certain occasions.
More important than scholarly debates is that Jesus chose John, and that he followed the Lord for the rest of his life. There is an ancient apocryphal book called Acts of John that tells us about what happened to the apostle after the ascension of Christ. He is not presented as the founder of churches, not even as the leader of a Christian community, but as a missionary, constantly on the road to bring the faith to as many people as possible.
We are disciples of Christ in the 21st century. The main task of a disciple of Christ is to follow the Lord and make Him known to others. We can do this by trying to live out what Christ taught us. This has to be learned, as John had to learn it. Jesus called him and his brother James “Sons of Thunder”; obviously they were quite hot tempered and needed to become “meek and humble” as their Master. They were also very ambitious when they asked Jesus to get them the honor seats in His Kingdom and had to learn Jesus’ virtue of humility. John and his brother could do it, why not we? John continued to learn from his Master, why not we? We just have to start. The New Year begins in a few days. This would be a good opportunity to become “Johns” for the 21st century.Fr. Rudy Horst
Reflection Question:
In which area of my life or character do I not project Christ and Christian values? What can I do to improve?
Lord, like the young John, I have many weaknesses. People would not always see You and Your teachings in me. But with Your help and the help of the Holy Spirit, I will begin again to become a better disciple.
St. Nicarete, virgin, pray for us.
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