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THE WORD

1 Jn 2,29-3,6/ Jn 1,29-34

The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

IN OTHER WORDS

The story is told about a father who was asked how he would name his newborn twins. He said: "The first one, I will name her Kate. And the second one? I will name her Duplikate! "

Today is the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. It is a most powerful name that is why we end all our prayers, praise and petitions with the phrase "In Jesus' name." In fact, we should do everything "in Jesus' name," and all will be well, according to His will and plan.

John the Baptist lived up to his name - that of being a baptizer, a herald for Jesus, the Messiah. We are edified by the honesty and humility of St. John the Baptist. He did not pretend to be what he was not (honesty), and he did not grab the limelight from the Messiah (humility).

We are Christians. Let us live up to our name. Let us become more prayerful, humbler, and kinder. Prayer, humility, and kindness we can't go wrong with these.

May no one ever say to us: "You say you are a Christian? How come you don't pray. How come you are so proud and so unkind?"
Christian is our name.
Prayer is the wind beneath our wings.
Service is our theme.
Heaven is our aim.

  • Fr. Jerry orbos, SVD (San Jose, Batangas City)

The Word in other words 2017

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

THE WORD

1 Jn 2,22-28 / Jn 1,19-28

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, "Who are you?" he did not deny it, but admitted, "1 am not the Messiah: So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "1 am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

IN OTHER WORDS

It happened to me many times. A call or a text message from an unknown number asking me: Hu u? I normally do not waste my time to send a reply. Basic courtesy demands that the caller should identify him/herself first and introduce who he/she is. I simply ignore unidentified, anonymous and mysterious calls or text messages from people I do not know.

John the Baptist had a similar experience. The priests and the Levites who interviewed him were distrustful of John's real identity. So they asked John who he was. John's reply was that he was nothing but the voice inspiring people to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. He was not the Christ. He was nobody. There was Someone coming who was definitely more important than John. John was only the Voice. Jesus was the Word. The Voice must decrease. The Word must increase.

John practically said, "Do not wait for me. I am not the one. I do not deserve the attention and honor from anybody. There is Someone much more important than I am. He is the One everyone should listen to." John added, "The difficulty is this One is among you - but you don't recognize him! —he is already in your midst. I am not even worthy to untie the straps of his sandals." John is a model of humility because he was ready and willing to disappear from the scene anytime in order that Jesus would shine. John was only, as he saw it, like a finger pointing to Christ. God sends us the grace to forget ourselves and remember only Christ.

  • Fr. Louie Punzalan, SVD (USC, Cebu city)

The Word in other words 2017

The Word in other words 2017

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

THE WORD

FIRST READING: Nm 6, 22-27

The LORD said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them."

 

SECOND READING: Gal 4, 4-7

Brothers and sisters:

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born ofa woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons. As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.

GOSPEL: Lk 2, 16-21

The shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

IN OTHER WORDS

A story is told of a mother who, when she discovered that her two children who lived in the same town were rarely seeing each other, decided to write them letters, with the first page sent to one, and the second page to the other. It then forced the two siblings to spend time together so they could read their mother's letters in full. Only a mother could think of a solution like that!

Today is the solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God and the first day of the year. This underlines our high regard for Mary, as well as our desire to receive her prayerful and loving intercession as we begin the year.

Theological discussions about Mary as Mother of God (Mater Dei in Latin,Theotokos in Greek) are not in short supply. For many years, the Catholic Church has fought off ideas which undermine the woman who gave birth to our Savior and fail to grasp her sublime dignity in relation to the divine identity of her Son. Some Christian denominations of today who continue to deprive Mary of such privileged status are simply echoing the fifth century Nestorian doctrine.

The importance of calling Mary as the Mother of God and celebrating her solemnity on the first day of the year goes beyond theological bounds. It certainly presents a powerful spiritual symbolism with great existential value. A new year connotes fresh start and hope for what is to come.We might have a thousand questions about what is in store for us individually and collectively as a human family. News headlines and year-end polemics about politics, global warming, regional wars and violent conflicts, extremism, and social injustices have made many people cynical about the future of humanity. Often we are clueless about how to start the year.

Today's gospel says that Mary kept and reflected things in her heart. This could be a good way to start. It worked for Mary, it should also work for us. Doing so, we need to surrender our will to God, trust in His mercy, and allow the Spirit to direct our thoughts and transform us.

Being a mother, Mary would always find solutions to our predicaments and intercede for us, the way she did for Christ her Son. Our situation is familiar to her: Facing the unknown and weathering the fiercest storm of human tragedy. At the start of the year, we call on the Lord's Mother so that, using the text from the first reading, she would pray: "May the Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord look upon you and give you peace" (Nm 6:22-27).

  • Fr. Sisoy Cellan, SVD (Kenya)

The Word in other words 2017

The Word in other words 2017

The Word in other words 2017

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

THE WORD

1 Jn 2,18-21 / Jn 1,1-18

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; nthe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.  But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

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.  John testified to him and cried out, saying “’This was he whom I said, ‘the one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’”  From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.

IN OTHER WORDS

It is the last hour!–1 John 2:18

St John lived through the “last hour” of the so-called Apostolic Age. The Apostles had served as authoritative and unifying witnesses of the life and teaching of Jesus. But as they were dying one by one, “antichrists” or false preachers of the Gospel also began emerging and dividing the Christian communities that were fast spreading within the vast expanse of the Roman Empire.

What can sustain us through such chaos? How can we as disciples of Jesus remain constant and faithful in spiritually confusing times? St John’s timely message was to counsel his fellow Christians to find their bearings through an inner compass and an outer support:

You have the anointing that comes from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge [of Him]! (1 John 2:20)

Theology today will perhaps rephrase this simple statement of St John in more precise though complex words, such as: “Let us believers remain in steadfast communion with one another in orthodoxy and orthopraxy.” The Greek word orthos means “right” or “correct”. Doxa and praxis mean “teaching”and “conduct,” respectively. Through the Gospel, we have come to know the all-provident God in the person and preaching of Jesus. Orthodoxy then consists in prayerful reflection on his Good News. Then, we have the ongoing “anointing of the Holy One” – symbolized by the sacraments.  Orthopraxy then consists in faithful participation in their nurturing celebration.

Today we have reached the “last hour” of a passing old year. At the same time, a new year opens out before us as a yet untrodden road. What can spur us Christians to journey onward are the orthodox guidance of the Gospel, and the orthoprax nurture of the sacraments – both animating us within the fold of the Church. St John of the Cross once imaged the Church as a bon re consisting of burning pieces of firewood.  If firewood sets itself apart from the warming and glowing communion, in no time will the cold dark night snuff out its solitary heat and light.

  • Fr. Pio Estepa, SVD | U.S.A.

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

 

More Articles ...

  1. December 30, 2016 Friday
  2. December 29, 2016 Thursday
  3. December 28, 2016 Wednesday
  4. December 27, 2016 Tuesday
  5. December 26, 2016 Monday
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