“The Word Became Flesh” by Colleen O’Sullivan
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him,
and without him, nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and
this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it… And the Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth… No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at
the Father’s side, has revealed him. (John
1:1-5, 14, 18)
Piety
O Word of God made flesh, we bow down before you, the Light which overcomes
the darkness in the world.
Study
Should you choose to attend Mass during the day on
Christmas, the Gospel reading is taken from the prologue to John’s Gospel. No
stable. No baby in a manger. No heavenly choir of angels singing. No shepherds
adoring the newborn little boy. No, not in John’s Gospel. John doesn’t want us
to get sentimental about the details provided in Luke’s Gospel or get stuck in
Bethlehem 2000+ years ago. He wants us to reflect on what Jesus’ birth means in
every age.
In some of the most poetic language in the
Scriptures, John says the Word, which was God, became flesh. In a literal
translation of the Greek, Jesus “pitched his tent among us.” I know that has to
be Love, because when I look at my life, my sins and weaknesses, and the world
around me, I don’t see an attractive, inviting campground for the Lord. Just
turn on your television or pick up a newspaper. Another mass shooting somewhere
in our country. Millions upon millions of homeless refugees around the globe
looking for food and shelter. A distinct lack of civility in the way we
interact with one another. Some days I’d really like to be somewhere else, but Jesus
was willing to sign on for this life with us. Not only did Jesus desire to come
and be with us, he chose to be like us in every way but sin. He wanted to experience
all that you and I experience in life. So we have a Savior who understands us
from the inside out, a Savior with whom we can share anything and everything in
prayer.
John says what God sent into the world was Light. No
matter how dark our lives or how dark the world may seem, this Light can never
be overcome. And maybe that’s the best news of Christmas. Stables, shepherds, angels,
and wise men are ephemeral, gone in the twinkling of an eye. If we live in the
Light, we are children of God and God will deliver us from the evil we do and
the evil that is sometimes done to us.
Action
When you’ve picked up the discarded
wrapping paper and bows and pushed away from the dinner table, spend a few
minutes reflecting on John 1:1-18. Imagine Mary holding the Word, the Light of
the World in her arms that first Christmas. Imagine the Light of the World
illuminating your heart.
May your Christmas be filled with peace and joy!
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