4th January 2009
For the Second Time in the last ten days we have been fortunate to listen to the outstanding prologue of St John's Gospel, the last time being on Christmas Morning. St John is one of the Four Evangelists who wrote the gospels and his gospel was the last to be written. It is good to bear in mind that in writing his gospel he would have been aware of the gospels of St's Mathew, Mark, and Luke. It is also of significance that an amount of years of reflection would have taken place since the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. In those years the early Christian Community would have been trying to unpack who Jesus Christ was and what were they to do with his teachings and the instructions he left.
In my final year in the Seminary we studied this Gospel and literally spent the first four months studying just the Prologue. Obviously you will be happy to hear we don't have the time today to reflect with any sort of depth. However I just perhaps will reflect briefly on the image of light. St John describes the Word as being the 'True Light that enlightens all men'. If you drive at night you will often be dazzled by an oncoming car with full headlights. But the light St John refers to does not blind anybody; the light gently enters people's lives and makes them better because of it. It forces itself on no one.
The Word could have come as a bright and dazzling light from the court of heaven. Instead it came very gently because of the bravery of a young girl who 2000 years ago said yes to what was asked of her. At that moment we believe that the Word became flesh and lived among us, the light came that began at that moment to chase away the darkness. In that Word made flesh we gain entry into the heart of God, the one who so loved the world that he gave his only Son. That is the simple message of the Incarnation and the message par excellence of Christmas. Amen.
|
 |
Homilies Archive
17nd May 2009
26th April 2009
3rd Sunday of Easter
12th April 2009
Easter Sunday
9th April 2009
Holy Thursday
29th March 2009
5th Sunday in Lent
22nd March 2009
4th Sunday in Lent
17th March 2009
St. Patrick's Day
15th March 2009
3rd Sunday in Lent
8th March 2009
2nd Sunday in Lent
1st March 2009
1st Sunday in Lent
25th February 2009
Ash Wednesday
22nd February 2009
8th February 2009
1st February 2009
25th January 2009
18th January 2009
11th January 2009
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
6th January 2009
Feast of the Epiphany
4th January 2009
2008 HOMILIES ARCHIVE
|
