Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 69 The Presumption of Defending Another in the Monastery

Mass: 1 Jn 1:1-4; Resp Ps 97; Jn 20:1a, 2-8

Clouds and darkness are around Him.

MARY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES,

PRAY FOR US.

It is still Christmas Time dear friends, as we find ourselves in the midst of the Octave of Christmas, our eight days to celebrate. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and from His fullness we have all received (Communion Antiphon, Mass), so with the psalmist we rejoice in the Lord (Ps 97). Our celebrations come quickly this liturgical year. January 1, 2022, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, is this next Saturday already, followed the day after with the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (January 2), then the week that follows Epiphany, with Christmas Time concluding on Sunday, January 9, as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. The First Week of Ordinary Time kicks off on Monday, January 10, 2022. Whew!

For now, though, united as we are in faith and prayer, we commemorate Saint John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," and consider what Saint Augustine has to say about the first reading from Mass. 

We proclaim to you what we have heard and seen [1 Jn 1:3]. Make sure you grasp the meaning of these words. The disciples saw our Lord in the flesh, face to face; they heard the words he spoke, and in turn they proclaimed the message to us. So we also have heard, although we have not seen.

Are we then less favored than those who both saw and heard? If that were so, why should John add: So that you too may have fellowship with us? They saw, and we have not seen; yet we have fellowship with them, because we and they share the same faith.

And our fellowship is with God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son. And we write this to you to make your joy complete-complete in that fellowship, in that love and in that unity.

(From the tractates on the first letter of John by Saint Augustine, bishop, in Office of Readings, December 27)

SAINT JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: This shot comes to us all the way from Germany, from my friend, Moni, who lives in Freiburg.

© Gertrude Feick 2021