Feast of St. John the Evangelist

 

If we have faith in resurrection we can move past our ugly days, sinful life. 

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Christmas Octave, the Feast of St. John, Wednesday 27th December, 2023
Texts: 1 John 1:1-4; Psalm 97:1-2,5-6,11-12; John 20:2-8 

                              Feast of St. John the Evangelist 

Today we celebrate St. John the evangelist. He should be a patron of politicians. We could remember that John and his brother, James, came with their mother to ask Jesus for position of honour. That is what politicians will do. Jesus asked John and James if they were ready to bear the cost, they said yes. Every politician will say the same. He was also portrayed to be quick to anger. He once ask Jesus for permission to call down fire on the Samaritans (Luke 9:54). John also tried to stop some people from speaking in the name of Jesus (Luke 9:49).  
I do not mention all these negative things about him to make us dislike him. They are not what make him saint. He later transcended them and they became his past. Reminding us his dark side tells us that whatever we might be now we can still be saints. All we need is to acknowledge the mystery of incarnation and believe in resurrection. Those are the secrets of the transformation of St. John.

Faith in Incarnation and Resurrection

We will have fellowship with the saints and Trinity if we acknowledge the mystery of incarnation. St. John says, “The life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son  Jesus Christ.” The mystery of incarnation invites us to allow God’s word dwell in us, to make it our ways of life.  

St. John believed in resurrection. In today’s gospel reading we read, “Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.” He was the disciple whom Jesus loved and first reached the tomb. He believed in resurrection. Faith in resurrection invites us to the joy of rising from the dead to life, from sinful state to holiness. If we have faith in resurrection we can move past our ugly days, sinful life.  

Prayer  

O God, who through the blessed Apostle John have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant, we pray, that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvellously brought to our ears. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew  Olowomuke