Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Wednesday, 31 December 2014

Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Meditation - John 1: The Life-Light
1-2 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
    God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
    in readiness for God from day one.
3-5 Everything was created through him;
    nothing—not one thing!—
    came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
    and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
    the darkness couldn’t put it out.
6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing:
    Every person entering Life
    he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
    the world was there through him,
    and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
    but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
    who believed he was who he claimed
    and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
    their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
    not blood-begotten,
    not flesh-begotten,
    not sex-begotten.
14 The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish.
15 John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.”
16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,
        gift after gift after gift.
    We got the basics from Moses,
        and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
    This endless knowing and understanding—
        all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
    No one has ever seen God,
        not so much as a glimpse.
    This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
        who exists at the very heart of the Father,
        has made him plain as day.
7th Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord
From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace. (John 1:16)
Lord, I thank you for this year. I thank you for all the little things you have done for me. I thank you for giving me parking places when I needed them and for finding my keys when I misplaced them. I thank you for all the times of laughter and happiness I have had this year. I thank you just as much for the times of pain and suffering—even though they did not come from you—because they moved me to turn to you for consolation and comfort.
I thank you, Lord, for my family and the friends you have placed in my life. Help me love them more. Show me how I can be a better servant to them. Show me how to draw my loved ones who have gone astray back to you.
I thank you also for all the times when you brought me back to you. All too often, I have done what I wanted to do. Not often enough did I do what you were calling me to do. Yet you are always there, reaching out to me and calling my name. When I do repent, I feel you pouring your mercy on me and forgiving my sins.
Thank you, Lord, for giving me the Bread of Life. I become what I eat. I see my development as a person influenced by what I eat. I see my desire for you increase because of what I eat. I see my love for others grow because of what I eat. I see a power at work in me, and I know it is not of me. I know it is you abiding in me. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me!
I thank you for the Church, which never gives up on me. Of course, we are a Church of sinners who make mistakes and hurt each other. But we are also a Church of saints—the gathering of “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own” (1 Peter 2:9). Lord, may your Church, of which you are the head, be blessed by you, be drawn closer to you, and be more loving toward everyone!
“Thank you, Jesus, for being with me this year. Please draw me closer in the year to come.” Amen!
1 John 2: Antichrists Everywhere You Look
18 Children, time is just about up. You heard that Antichrist is coming. Well, they’re all over the place, antichrists everywhere you look. That’s how we know that we’re close to the end.
19 They left us, but they were never really with us. If they had been, they would have stuck it out with us, loyal to the end. In leaving, they showed their true colors, showed they never did belong.
20-21 But you belong. The Holy One anointed you, and you all know it. I haven’t been writing this to tell you something you don’t know, but to confirm the truth you do know, and to remind you that the truth doesn’t breed lies.
Psalms 96:1-2 Sing God a brand-new song!
Earth and everyone in it, sing!
Sing to God—worship God!
2-3 Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,
Take the news of his glory to the lost,
News of his wonders to one and all!
11 Let’s hear it from Sky,
With Earth joining in,
And a huge round of applause from Sea.
12 Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,
Animals, come dance,
Put every tree of the forest in the choir—
13 An extravaganza before God as he comes,
As he comes to set everything right on earth,
Set everything right, treat everyone fair.
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