Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 28, 2010 - St. John, apostle and evangelist
[1 John 1:1-4 and John 20:1a, 2-8]What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life--for the life was made visible...... What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us...[1 John]
These words from the First Letter of John, on the feast of St. John the Evangelist, are a wonderful response to the "What next?" following the celebration of Christmas! Our brothers and sisters of the Eastern Rites of the Church celebrate the feast of the Epiphany as we Latin Rite Catholics celebrate Christmas. Liturgically the celebration continues till after the Epiphany when we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. However, by then, the crib set has been put away, the tree is on the curb, and the three kings have come and gone! Our economy is analyzing the impact of the "holiday season" and Mardi Gras is about to start in New Orleans (twelve days after). As a matter of faith, can we just "put Christmas behind us?"
The words from John remind us of our discipleship and its demands. We must proclaim what we have heard and seen so that others may have fellowship with us. Liturgically, we could postpone putting away that crib set, even if we get rid of the tree and all the other decorations! This can have the effect of reminding us that we are celebrating a "season" and not just one day. Those Magi can remind us that "outsiders" may be drawn to discover the Word of life made visible. We can continue to say to ourselves and others, "Christ is born!" Yes, that might startle some folks who have "moved on" to the New Year's events and football games! Yes, it will take effort to keep the season alive in our thoughts and hearts. But the Good News is good news in a world of bad news. And what better news is there than the Word of life made visible? AMEN