101229 John the Baptist, readings from his feast 12-27

Jack and Thom
Good morning, I love you,
101229, 1824

Feeloughts about y’all, your baptisms, the feast of one of your patrons. (for John Kenneth John Nolan.)


December 27

St John the Apostle
Patron of Asia Minor

I’m starting with the readings for John’s feast day: a tiny sliver of the biblical knowledge we have of the man. Go to the primary sources. Read John’s letters – if you will, letters from an old man. Read about John in Acts, John as maturing man. Read about John in the Gospels: not only the one ‘who loved Him the most’ or ‘loved by Him the best’ but probably the youngest of the twelve. Go to the primary sources; plus the biographies and the tradition of our Church that tells us about this man and what HE means to us today. Get to know the man, his heart; and embrace his spirit.


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.

Straight forward testimony. To help your belief and to help alleviate your disbelief. John was there at the beginning – among the first called, among the first to see that Jesus was risen from the dead. Begin your fellowship with John; and with and through him, with the Father, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12
R. (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

In what, in whom do you rejoice. With the psalmist and the rest of us, rejoice in the Lord. Such rejoicing will help you be just. And if you are just now, you would know in your heart to Rejoice now and forever in the Lord. Go for it.

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. Clouds and darkness are around him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

In the era of Kings on earth who really meant something, the people rejoiced in their king. Put yourself in the psalmist’s times. The Lord is King. Thus, and without hesitation for He is such a marvelous King, Rejoice. Since He is King of all the world, let the earth, the many isles rejoice and be glad. And if the very foundation upon which we stand rejoices, hear the earth cry out to our Lord and King. Rejoice yourself with all creation. Don’t stand aside. Don’t think you can run and hide. Rejoice. Get over it! Get with it! Rejoice. Rejoicing is so much more funner than all the alternative responses to our Lord and King.

Justice and Judgment are the foundation of His throne. We like the mercy part. We accept the justice part and are relieved by it. Do not forget the judgment part. We are judged and will be judged. He will ask you – how much did you rejoice in the Lord your King?


The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory.

The Lord is hot stuff! Not even mountains stand when he sears into them. Think how His ‘look’ will affect you. … The heavens proclaim His justice. Not just the earth, not only the foundation of His throne, but the angels and saints, all the heavens proclaim the King’s justice. … And all peoples see His glory. All peoples. And all people. Let your heart proclaim what your eyes see – the Glory of God. And Rejoice in it! Gaudate!


Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.


If you are just, Light dawns for you. What if you are not just? What if you are not upright? Be Just – rejoice, be glad, and give thanks that He is our God, our Lord, our King. Imagine this psalm as rock music. Rejoice!


Jn 20:1a and 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.”

There was a lot of running around on this ‘first Sunday.’ We also have four different versions of the events on this day. Since John was an eye witness and participant, let’s go with he knew what he wrote about. And, since the conversation tonight is about John, I’ll pass by the commentary that the women’s arriving first demands.

John tells us Mary Magdalene ran to him and Peter with this astonishing news, frightened no doubt and shocked – where’s the body?!


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.

John ran faster than Peter – and John wants you to know that. So there! We won’t also mention that on this ‘first Sunday,’ John was a ‘young man’ and Peter, the Rock, had quite a few years on the pup. John got to the tomb first, looked in, but did not go in. The boy knew his place. Peter first. Or was it simply that the younger man, seeing the tomb empty except for the burial clothes didn’t dare go in. Mary Magdalene was right, the body’s not here. They took it?! What’s up? Ole John was NOT going in the tomb first.


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.

John saw and John believed. Those of us who rebel against the bad rap Thomas gets for ‘doubting,’ would like you to know that John too did not believe until he himself “saw.” That’s the good news. He got to see. And he believed. And, like in his letter, he wants us to believe, with our own gift of faith: leaning on his first hand experience when necessary. See and believe! Let yourself see what John saw. And believe.

I love you,
Dad
1857