Second Sunday of Christmas
2 January 22
The word awesome has recently become fashionable again. Well, if a text can be called awesome, it the beginning of John’s gospel we have just been hearing.
We must not allow the challenge this amazing text presents to deter us from frequent meditation and delight as we gradually absorb its riches. It is a text we should come back to often, because it speaks of the life of the Blessed Trinity, it speaks of the ministry of the Baptist, of the Incarnation and of our relationship with our Incarnate Lord. It is above all a text we should feed our souls on. It will then become one of our great delights.
It is no accident that this great prologue begins and ends with the life of God, the eternal presence of the Divine Persons to each other in the ardent love of eternal peace: the Word was with God and the Word was God. In the conclusion we are granted our place: the Incarnate Son makes God known to us, he is the interpreter of what cannot be put into human language. The invisible God becomes visible in the Son. Faith grants us a real relationship with each of the Divine Persons so that we may receive grace upon grace.
There is no place in the world now for the dark superstitions and religions of fear that have tyrannised over humanity. God created all that is: all was fashioned by the Son and the Holy Spirit, sharers in the delight of bringing into being that which did not exist. There are no intermediaries between God and his creation, nor between God and man. Jesus Christ, God the Son made man for us is the sole Mediator between God and man. It is supremely fitting that the Word of God who creates and is holding everything in existence himself entered the world, taking to himself our flesh through the same Spirit who hovered over the waters on the first day of creation. We, who believe in the name of the only Son of God, are empowered to become children of God through the Holy Spirit who seals us for eternal life.
In him was life: every time we come together to celebrate the Mass we call upon the Holy Spirit to sanctify our offering. Just as the power of the Most High overshadowed Mary so that she became the Mother of God, so the Holy Spirit and the power of the words of Jesus transform the bread and wine we bring to the altar making present the true Body and Blood of our Risen Lord. The beautiful crib brings before us the humility of the incarnation, which alone can prepare our minds for the even greater humility of the cross and the Holy Eucharist. When we eat this Bread and drink this cup we have eternal life: our prayer to share in the divine nature is answered. Our every action is transformed to give glory to our God, Father Son and Holy Spirit.