December 27; the Third Day of the Christmas Octave, St. John the Apostle, Evangelist
Opening Prayer from the Liturgy: “God our Father, you have revealed the mysteries of your Word through John the apostle. By prayer and reflection may we come to understand the wisdom he taught. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
In your Bible: 1 John 1:1-4; The Word of Life
Catechesis: Today we celebrate the memory of St. John the Evangelist who wrote a Book of the Gospel, three letters and, some hold, the Book of Revelation. St. John, of whom it can be said knew Jesus more intimately than anyone (other than his mother), gave us lofty concepts of great theological consequence. St. John’s writings are the source of our knowledge of Christ’s pre-existence as the Word of God, his “mission” to bring light to the world, and the sacred truth that Jesus is God made man. The theme of St. John’s Gospel focuses on Christ’s Divinity as well as the mournful response of his own people who, “did not accept him” (John 1:11). St. John is worthily considered the “evangelist of the divinity of Christ.”
Activity: Take time today to “study the Sacred Page.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church “forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful . . . to learn ‘the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,’ by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures.” Then, quoting St. Jerome, the Catechism reminds us that “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (133).