†Saint Quote
"O Holy Family—the Family so closely united to the mystery which we contemplate on the day of the Lord's Birth—guide with your example the families of the whole earth!"
–Pope St. John Paul II †Today's Meditation
"Love is an excellent thing, a great good indeed, which alone maketh light all that is burdensome and equally bears all that is unequal. For it carries a burden without being burdened and makes all that which is bitter sweet and savory. The love of Jesus is noble and generous; it spurs us on to do great things and excites us to desire always that which is most perfect."
— Thomas à Kempis, p. 87 An Excerpt From
Imitation of Christ, p87 †Daily Verse
"In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us."
–1 John 4:10-12 Daily Mass Readings |  click to read more | | St. John the Evangelist St. John the Evangelist (1st c.) was one of the Twelve Apostles, and one of the three in Jesus' inner circle, along with his brother, James, and Simon Peter. St. John was the disciple who reclined on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper, and the only one of the twelve to not forsake Christ during His crucifixion and death. John stood faithfully at the foot of the Cross alongside the other holy women, and therefore he was the disciple to whom Jesus entrusted the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In addition to being called "The Evangelist" he is also known as the "Beloved Disciple." After the death and resurrection of Jesus, St. John was an important leader of the Church in Jerusalem. He lived to a very old age and composed the fourth Gospel that bears his name, three epistles, and the book of Revelation. He is the only one of the Twelve Apostles who was not martyred, instead being exiled to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea under the persecution of Roman Emperor Domitian. St. John the Evangelist's feast day is December 27th.
Find a Devotional for This Saint | Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist Lectionary: 697
Reading I 1 Jn 1:1-4 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 —
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—
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.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete. Responsorial Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12 R. (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are around him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just! Alleluia
See Te Deum
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 20:1a and 2-8 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 do not know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed. | Daily Meditation: 1 John 1:1-4 . . . so that you too may have fellowship with us. (1 John 1:3) The Greek word for fellowship, koinonia, means participation in a life and a mission that knits people closely together. St. John, whose feast we celebrate today, knew how important this koinonia was because he had experienced it firsthand, both with the other apostles and with Jesus himself. So what did that look like? The twelve apostles ate together, traveled together, and organized their lives around their master, Jesus. This shared life of prayer, conversation, witness, and even suffering was their support and foundation as they learned what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. And through their time together, they grew to love one another. They became like a family! Jesus was the head of this family, and he was especially close with John, the disciple "whom Jesus loved" (John 21:20). He asked this apostle to be with him on important days like the Transfiguration as well as on painful days like his agony in the garden. He even asked John to take care of his mother after he died (19:27). But John was not only an apostle; he was also an evangelist. He preached the good news that God has invited everyone to become part of his family, and he kept this incredible news alive by teaching Jesus' model of koinonia to the members of his church. Echoing the Father's endearing term for Jesus, he affectionately called them "beloved" (Mark 9:7; 1 John 3:2; 4:7, 11). He urged them to live in "fellowship" with each other and the risen Lord (1 John 1:3). Fellowship is a gift that God wants all of us to experience and to share with other people. So on his feast day, honor St. John by finding one small way to deepen your experience of fellowship with someone. Tell that person you are praying for them, or reach out to thank a friend who has supported you in the past. Jesus came to give us an abundant life—and that includes walking together with fellow travelers on the road to heaven! "Jesus, show me ways I can experience deeper fellowship with someone you have placed in my life." Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12
John 20:1-8 | "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" He who has seen has written. A testimony is shared. | We pray in Psalms:
From Saint John's book:
"...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..." An eye witness has left his memory written forever.
And you too are called to be a witness. Of what you have seen, and heard, and what about the sense of touch? Has God touched you? | We heard in the Gospel today:
"Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name.
*Rejoice in the Lord, you just!" | "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 do not know where they put him." Mary Magdalene was the witness that our Lord was gone, and she thought His body was taken away.
But His body was never taken away...it was given to the Father and our Lord had said He was going to the Father.
The resurrection is a realm of reality. They say what we live now is a mere glimpse of what is to come. There are space and physical limitations in the world we live in. But they are not so in the next.
And so Peter rushes when He hears. The one who was chosen by God, to lead the church, now rushes to the empty tomb, to see for himself, as if the word was not enough. But this is the same man who throws himself into the sea to walk on water, whereas everyone else would remain the boat.
This is the man who would actually walk on water, whereas all others never got a taste of it.
This is the man who cower away from God at the time of crucifixion, but the same man rushing back to Him for mercy. Peter runs. Peter enters the tomb. Peter knew what happened right away by the way He found things arranged, nice and neat. The Lord was not finished.
"Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed." Now you have heard. Now it is your turn to run.
If you want to see to believe, you must make haste. Time is passing by quickly. This year has just about ended, in the worldly calendar, but in the calendar of the Liturgy of the Word Incarnate...a new year has already begun, and the Light has already pierced the darkness as His side was pierced...the Light began to ooze into the world, drop by drop, and darkness will never extinguish this light.
Come and see the greatest gift on Earth...Our Lord Himself. Let's Pray:
Lord, My Father,
You were born in a cave, wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Soon 3 came to find you, the great Epiphany that is meant to come, a light revealed to the world. It is the complete and whole story of You my Lord. 3 found you a baby, and anointed you King of the world.
And then 3 came to find your empty tomb, who had already anointed the King for burial, in the tomb. They all walked away amazed, and confused, but they had faith they would see You again.
That is us now. We have heard, and now we wait to see. We journey to You. We journey to the truth of Light, and ask for mercy for what the light is going to reveal to us soon, and very soon. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Phil 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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