The Word

Today's Reflections

 

 

 

 

December 25, 2011

Solemnity of the Lord’s Birth—Day


Is 52:7-10
Ps 98
Heb 1:1-6
 

Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14

The Word

¹In the beginning was the Word,/ and the Word was with God,/ and the Word was God./ ²He was in the beginning with God./ ³All things came to be through him,/ and without him nothing came to be./ What came to be ⁴through him was life,/ and this life was the light of the human race;/ ⁵the light shines in the darkness,/ and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶A man named John was sent from God. ⁷He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world,/ and the world came to be through him,/ but the world did not know him./ ¹¹He came to what was his own,/ but his own people did not accept him.

¹²But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, ¹³who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

¹⁴And the Word became flesh/ and made his dwelling among us,/ and we saw his glory,/ the glory as of the Father’s only Son,/ full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John 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.’ ” ¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, ¹⁷because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.

Reflection:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. God so loved humankind that he made sure his love was made flesh, put in the concrete, and felt by all. God put to flesh his love and nailed it on the cross for all to see and draw inspiration from. God gave his love birth among us for us to feel and hear and taste.

This is one message and challenge of Christmas. We can experience God’s love more by making our own love concrete, too. And Christmas is the best and the easiest time to show this love by passing it on and rubbing it on to others.

A single mother was dressing her son while praying out loud that she hoped she would find God willing to watch over her boy. She called her friends and neighbors, but all were busy with the holiday rush and begged off. Finally, an elderly lady at the end of her street agreed to watch over her boy while she was out to work.

His mother gone, the boy asked the woman if she was God. “Why, of course not!” The lady replied. “I’m just your old neighbor. Why did you ask, my son?”

The boy answered that her mother kept repeating  she hoped she would find God to take him in. “Well, you took me in,” he said, “so you must be God!”

Take time this Christmas to reflect and to give thanks! Instead of the usual

“Merry Christmas,” greet the people you meet

with a positive feedback or with words of thanks.