Gospel & Reflection for the Second Sunday after Christmas
John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word:
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through him.
All that came to be had life in him
and that life was the light of men,
a light that shines in the dark,
a light that darkness could not overpower.
The Word was the true light
that enlightens all men;
and he was coming into the world.
He was in the world
that had its being through him,
and the world did not know him.
He came to his own domain
and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to all who believe in the name of him
who was born not out of human stock
or urge of the flesh
or will of man
but of God himself.
The Word was made flesh,
he lived among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through him.
All that came to be had life in him
and that life was the light of men,
a light that shines in the dark,
a light that darkness could not overpower.
The Word was the true light
that enlightens all men;
and he was coming into the world.
He was in the world
that had its being through him,
and the world did not know him.
He came to his own domain
and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to all who believe in the name of him
who was born not out of human stock
or urge of the flesh
or will of man
but of God himself.
The Word was made flesh,
he lived among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
Reflection
Ken Robinson was a British author, speaker, and international advisor on the issue of children’s education. He died in August of 2020 from cancer but at the time of his death, such were his exceptional ideas on education, the arts, and cultivating creativity in children’s lives, that his talks and presentations on social media were the most viewed across the world. Over one hundred million people have listened to his three TED talks alone, with millions of others listening to him on YouTube. His presentations have been translated into sixty-two different languages.
Robinson tells a story of a conversation he once had with the Editor of his books. Prior to being an editor, this woman had been a successful classical musician, her expertise being the Piano. She had been a child prodigy when it came to music, and he asked her why she had given up her successful career in music to enter the literary world? She explained that after a concert one evening, the conductor of the Orchestra praised her on her remarkable performance but added: “You didn’t enjoy it though, did you?” She was a bit taken aback but had to admit that no, she did not enjoy it! She played the piano because she was simply good at it! As a child, she had a precocious talent, and her family took it for granted that she would enter the Royal College of Music and have a musical career; all of which came to pass. But no one had ever asked her, nor had she asked herself, if a career in music was what she really wanted to do with her life?
She had to admit having been asked and after some self-reflection, that she never liked music! At the end of that musical season, she closed the lid of her piano and had not opened it since. She realised, when she stopped to think about it, that what she loved most was books. She loved reading and writing and enjoyed being around other writers. She became determined to find a role within the literary world to be among the people that she wanted to be with, with books that she loved and finding that role had made her happier than she ever had been.
I think within that story, we have all of the dynamics at play which are important to our Gospel on this Sunday. The Gospel is gently but compellingly pushing aside the sentimentality of Christmas and is giving way to its profound meaning. It reminds us that ‘The Word was made flesh’ and asks us to translate that truth for the true purpose and happiness of our own lives.
The Word that we encounter is God. This Word, God, came alive in time and history through Christ. As the mature and adult Word, Christ spoke of love, faith, and hope. He witnessed as the Word by working miracles, healing, and forgiving. His purpose as the Word from the beginning was to save, redeem, and resurrect. As the Word, He reached out to all to hear Him, to take Him to heart, and to make Him known.
So, as God’s people, like the young woman of the story, we are called to a new way of seeing – to realise what we are doing, compared to what we should be doing. The Word, God, summons us all to do what we were created to do, and that is to bring faith, hope, and love alive in all we say and do. This is not easy because the Word can be difficult, it can be challenging but above all it is powerful in a trusting and faithful life.
So, the Word needs you and me. God needs us all. He needs our hands to work and reach out; our speech to speak of faith, hope and love; our hearts to forgive and our lives to have compassion and thoughtfulness. The Word needs to move and breath within us and when it does, then God Himself is moving and living through us.
Friends, may the Word always live within and among us. Let us take the Word to heart and may it bring purpose and peace to our lives.
Robinson tells a story of a conversation he once had with the Editor of his books. Prior to being an editor, this woman had been a successful classical musician, her expertise being the Piano. She had been a child prodigy when it came to music, and he asked her why she had given up her successful career in music to enter the literary world? She explained that after a concert one evening, the conductor of the Orchestra praised her on her remarkable performance but added: “You didn’t enjoy it though, did you?” She was a bit taken aback but had to admit that no, she did not enjoy it! She played the piano because she was simply good at it! As a child, she had a precocious talent, and her family took it for granted that she would enter the Royal College of Music and have a musical career; all of which came to pass. But no one had ever asked her, nor had she asked herself, if a career in music was what she really wanted to do with her life?
She had to admit having been asked and after some self-reflection, that she never liked music! At the end of that musical season, she closed the lid of her piano and had not opened it since. She realised, when she stopped to think about it, that what she loved most was books. She loved reading and writing and enjoyed being around other writers. She became determined to find a role within the literary world to be among the people that she wanted to be with, with books that she loved and finding that role had made her happier than she ever had been.
I think within that story, we have all of the dynamics at play which are important to our Gospel on this Sunday. The Gospel is gently but compellingly pushing aside the sentimentality of Christmas and is giving way to its profound meaning. It reminds us that ‘The Word was made flesh’ and asks us to translate that truth for the true purpose and happiness of our own lives.
The Word that we encounter is God. This Word, God, came alive in time and history through Christ. As the mature and adult Word, Christ spoke of love, faith, and hope. He witnessed as the Word by working miracles, healing, and forgiving. His purpose as the Word from the beginning was to save, redeem, and resurrect. As the Word, He reached out to all to hear Him, to take Him to heart, and to make Him known.
So, as God’s people, like the young woman of the story, we are called to a new way of seeing – to realise what we are doing, compared to what we should be doing. The Word, God, summons us all to do what we were created to do, and that is to bring faith, hope, and love alive in all we say and do. This is not easy because the Word can be difficult, it can be challenging but above all it is powerful in a trusting and faithful life.
So, the Word needs you and me. God needs us all. He needs our hands to work and reach out; our speech to speak of faith, hope and love; our hearts to forgive and our lives to have compassion and thoughtfulness. The Word needs to move and breath within us and when it does, then God Himself is moving and living through us.
Friends, may the Word always live within and among us. Let us take the Word to heart and may it bring purpose and peace to our lives.
Fr. Richard
