REFLECTIONS TODAY
Following the celebration of St. Stephen who shed his blood for the faith is the feast of St. John, apostle and evangelist. He is believed to be “the other disciple whom Jesus loved” (v 2) who outruns Peter to the tomb but lets him enter first. The evangelist alludes to the martyrdom of Peter by which he will glorify God (Jn 21:19).
Of the beloved disciple, he turns to the belief among Christians that he will not die (21:23), when in fact he died. This means that John “lived” the faith up to an advanced age. He is a hero to his community for the testimony to Jesus he leaves behind in writing the Fourth Gospel.
His intimacy with Jesus makes him believe even with just the “signs” of the empty tomb and the burial clothes bereft of Jesus’ body. He likewise will recognize the risen Jesus by the shore of Lake Tiberias by the “sign” of the great catch of fish:
“It is the Lord” (21:7). Like a sheep who recognizes the voice of the Good Shepherd, John was able to lead others to Jesus by his writing and his example. It is said that in his old age, when he was asked by believers for words as his last testament, he would go back to the words of Jesus and say, “My children, love one another!”
First Reading • 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.
Gospel • John 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: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.