Contemplating today's Gospel
Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)
A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light but a witness to introduce the Light. For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He was already in the world and through him the world was made, the very world that did not know him. He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him; but all who have received him he empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name. These are born, but without seed or carnal desire or will of man: they are born of God.
And the Word was made flesh; He had his tent pitched among us, and we have seen his Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father: fullness of truth and loving-kindness. John bore witness to him openly, saying: «This is the one who comes after me, but He is already ahead of me for he was before me». From his fullness we have all received, favor upon favor. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God-the-Only-Son made him known: the one who is in and with the Father.
«And the Word was made flesh; he had his tent pitched among us, and we have seen his Glory»
Fr. Ferran BLASI i Birbe (Barcelona, Spain)Today, the Gospel is offered in a poetic way and seems to provide, not only an introduction, but also a sort of synthesis of all the elements of this book. It has a rhythm that makes it solemn, with parallelisms, similes and repetitions. The great ideas trace different circles. The highest point of the presentation is in the very middle of it all, with a statement that fits perfectly in with this Christmas time: «And the Word was made flesh; He had his tent pitched among us» (Jn 1:14).
The author tells us that God assumed the human condition and lived among us. And in these days we find Him in the heart of a family: now in Bethlehem, and later on with them to the exile of Egypt, and afterwards in Nazareth.
God has wanted His Son to share our life, and —precisely for that reason— to go through all the stages of existence: the Mother's womb, birth, growth and development (baby, child, teenager, and forever after, Jesus, the Savior).
The text continues by saying: «And we have seen his Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father: fullness of truth and loving-kindness» (Ibid). The angels also sang it at that very first moment: «Glory to God in the highest; peace on earth for God is blessing humankind» (cf. Lk 2:14). And, now, we see it in the very fact that He is being looked after by His parents: in the diapers prepared by His Mother, in the loving charm of His father —good and skillful— who had prepared such a welcoming place for Him, and in the expressions of love of the shepherds who have come to adore Him, and give Him presents.
This is how this fragment of the Gospel offers us the Word of God —His wisdom— which He lets us share in, it provides us with Life in God, a growing without limit, and also with the Light that lets us see the true value all things, from God's perspective, with “supernatural vision”, with affectionate gratitude to He who has given Himself completely to the men and women of the world, since He came into the world as a Child.
Thoughts on Today's Gospel
“Awake, O man, and recognize the dignity of your nature. Recollect you were made in the image of God, which although it was corrupted in Adam, was yet re-fashioned in Christ.” (Saint Leo the Great)
“Those who believe in Jesus receive a new origin. They enter into the origin of Jesus Christ, which now becomes their own origin. Our true “genealogy” is faith in Jesus, who gives us a new origin, who brings us to birth “from God”.” (Benedict XVI)
“The Symbol of the faith confesses the greatness of God's gifts to man in his work of creation, and even more in redemption and sanctification (…). Coming to see in the faith their new dignity, Christians are called to lead henceforth a life ‘worthy of the gospel of Christ’ (Phil 1:27). They are made capable of doing so by the grace of Christ and the gifts of his Spirit.” (Catechism Of The Catholic Church, Nº 1692)
