He Saw and Believed

December 27, 2007

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

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. 1 John 1:1-3

Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. John 20:8

Piety

Lord, what did your beloved disciple see in those dawn hours that caused him to believe? Was it the pile of cloth you discarded? Was it the emptiness of the tomb? Was it the time remembering what you said about “three days to rebuild the temple?” How did John put all of that together with what he witnessed and instantly believe? After all, he had witnessed so many other signs yet did not believe. Lord, help us in our unbelief to follow in the footsteps of you and John. Invite us into the places where we may not want to go to get the experiences to which you lead us Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/122707.shtml
Experience. We get more of it everyday. What do we do with it? St. John the Evangelist gives us a living example.

This week, we began the celebration of Christmas – the birth of Jesus. One the second day of Christmas, we celebrated the Feast of St. Stephen, which revealed to us the cost of discipleship, the price we must pay in order to follow Jesus. Today, on the third day, we celebrate the Feast of John the Baptist. Scripture reveals the tripod of discipleship: witness, faith and testimony. “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.”(1 John 1:2)

It is not enough for St. John to just study the life of Christ as if it was some historical lesson or as if Jesus was just another friend, teacher or itinerant preacher. John saw the signs, shared the Last Supper, got his feet washed, witnessed the Passion and then stood at the foot of the cross with Mary.

It is not enough for St. John to go away from the crucifixion dazed and confused. It is not enough that he ran to the tomb and entered it. It is not enough even that he saw a pile of burial clothes on the empty tomb floor and instantly believed.

John still has to act upon his beliefs. One way he acted was to proclaim it by writing the Gospel and his letters. He had to share the experience. It was only in his proclamations and writings about his faith and study that he could complete his discipleship by drawing others into fellowship with Jesus: “We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.” (1 John 1:4)

Not just his own joy. Not just the joy of the Lord. But your joy as well. And mine.

Action

Cloth…it is one of the many little details connecting the stories of the Incarnation and the Resurrection. When Jesus was born, Mary wrapped in him in cloth and laid him in an empty manger. After he had died, Joseph of Aramithea and Nicodemus brought the body to the tomb where women from the village prepared it for burial. It was once again wrapped in cloth. Jesus relied upon the actions of others who were engaged in both corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Maybe it is from these experiences that Jesus urges us to clothe the naked and bury the dead.

Go through your closets for clothes that you are no longer using and donate them to a local shelter, clothing or coat drive at your parish, or to a non-profit agency like Salvation Army or Goodwill.