Reflection
We begin our readings with the “last hour” and end with “the beginning,” which is quite fitting for today as we say goodbye to 2024 and prepare for 2025. We are filled with emotions and distractions as we look back on ‘what was’ and contemplate ‘what could be’ moving forward.
The beginning of John’s Gospel is one of the most magnificent passages in Scripture. It is my favorite chapter for in these words John reveals to us exactly who Jesus is. The opening sentence, “In the beginning was the Word” caught the attention of 1st century Jews because the first word of the Hebrew scriptures, bereshit, means “beginning.” John is saying the story he will tell is the tale of a new creation, a new beginning. The Word, he tells us, was not only with God from the beginning, but indeed was God.
This ‘Word’ as we recite in the Nicene Creed is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.” The perfect creator of the universe is the Word, the beginning of all things.
“He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him; yet the world did not know Him.” Here we come to understand the tragedy of sin. We were made by and for God and our joy comes from union with Him. Sin is the disharmony that comes when we fall out of alignment with God and His purpose for our lives. However, the story has a glorious resolution! “But to those who did accept Him, who believed His name, He gave power to become children of God.” Our Church Fathers consistently have taught that God became human so that humans might become like God, participating in His divine nature.
We are cautioned in our first reading from John’s first letter, to cling to the Truth, to use the knowledge we have received from the Holy Spirit to keep our eyes focused on Christ. We must resist the temptations and lies of the antichrists who have deceived the lukewarm believers. We have the living presence of Christ in the Eucharist to keep us attune to His voice. We have the living Word that leads us and inspires us each day. We have a community of believers to journey with and provide support. We have priests and deacons who lead us on the path to Heaven. We have everything we need!
In 2025, will I choose all the gifts that God has provided to participate more fully in His divine nature as a child of God? Will I recognize and avoid the detours and hazards that sin places on my path to heaven? How will I make the New Year more joyful, purpose-filled, and Christ-centered?