December 31, 2009
The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
But you have the anointing that comes from the holy one, and you all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth. 1 John 2:20-21
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. John 1:1-5
Piety
Father, you have been present with us throughout this year as we have attempted to walk with you in piety, study and action. When we have been unable to keep pace with you, we know that your Son has picked us up and carried us along just like He saved St. Peter from the crashing waves of the sea and Peter’s crashing waves of doubt and denial. We welcome your Holy Spirit to continue dwelling with us in the coming year so that we may overcome any antichrist of unbelieving and darkness that descends upon our lives. Amen.
Study
Here on the last day of the year, we reflect on the beginning. Not just the beginning of the Gospel according to St. John, but also the beginning of time. John’s prose mirrors the opening passages of Genesis and also sets for some of the principal themes of the Bible -- the Word, the presence of God in our lives, creation, life, light and darkness.
Unlike Matthew and Luke, St. John does not begin his Good News by dwelling on the Christmas narrative of how Jesus literally came into the world. Instead, after a short and beautiful introduction on the being and presence of Jesus, he jumps to the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus’ initiation as a minister in adulthood, John the Evangelizer focuses on John the Baptizer and as the precursor and announcer of the coming of the Lord to dwell among us.
Now, seven days into our season celebrating the incarnation of the Lord, we have a chance to reflect back on the beginning of our salvation history – the first hour and the role that the Lord’s presence has always had in the lives of the faithful and those who are called to be faithful.
With this special pairing of readings on this last day of the year and the last day of the first decade of the century, we are reminded that the goodness created by God does not exist in a vacuum. We are reminded in the first reading that we are now in the last hour, awaiting Jesus’ second coming. We have to live as if we are fully aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and also the conflicting forces posed by the antichrist.
“Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared.” 1 John 2:18
Action
What is the antichrist or what are the antichrists in your life? Sometimes, bad can happen in our lives when we least expect it. One antichrist – disease – may sneak up on us and ambush us when we least expect it.
Our Cursillo sister Mary Smart is in such a fight right now. Some of you have already been contacted, for those who are hearing this news via email or the website, we appreciate your forbearance. Marty has a true gift for making and nurturing friends, too numerous to notify by phone.
Marty has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, a glioblastoma (GBM), which is incurable. She was demonstrating some confusion, had headaches and memory problems in the past couple of weeks and was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Christmas Eve. MRIs and a biopsy confirmed a very large tumor that spans both the right and left frontal lobes and is likely spread throughout the brain.
Clearly this news is a shock and many will have questions. Marty’s friends have put together a website that you can register for that will provide updates and let you leave messages for Marty and her family at: http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/621107/.
Please register and in the notes section state how you know Marty. Future e-mail updates on her condition will be sent from the website so if you want to stay in the loop, please register.
Marty will be at Walter Reed for at least another week to ten days and may be visited. Although there are no limits on how long you stay or how many people are there, we trust that you will help conserve her strength, yet liven her day with your visit. She's not allowed flowers on this ward, so if you want to do something for her, donate to the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org.
As we find things that the family needs help with, we will post them on the website listed above. Cards may be sent to Marty at 2917-D S. Woodstock Dr., Arlington VA 22206.
