REFLECTIONS TODAY
Today is the Feast of St. John. Our liturgical celebration identifies St. John as both Apostle and Evangelist. Our Catholic tradition also associates John with the Beloved Disciple mentioned in John’s Gospel, the one who inspired the writing of the said Gospel. Today’s Gospel tells of the Beloved Disciple who goes to the empty tomb and believes what he sees. In John’s Gospel, the verb “to believe” (pisteuō) is always connected to the verb “to see” (horaō). The Beloved Disciple is presented as the model disciple. He sees things through the eyes of faith. Moreover, he bears witness to Jesus who is the Word of life (1 Jn 1:1). Hence, as Jesus’ disciple, St. John becomes our inspiration. May we see things through the eyes of faith that we may also bear witness to Jesus, the Word of life.
Does our faith guide our everyday decisions in life? Whatever we are going through now, can we see it through the eyes of faith? During this Christmas season, how can we concretely bear witness to Jesus, the Word of life?
Gospel • Jn 20:1a, 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.
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.