Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Saturday, 27 December 2014

Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Saturday, 27 December 2014
Meditation - John 20: Resurrection!
1-2 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, “They took the Master from the tomb. We don’t know where they’ve put him.”
3-10 Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.
Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
He saw and believed. (John 20:8)
Think about your closest friends or family members. What are some things that you like about these people? Maybe there’s something you like to do together, or you all share some memorable experiences. Most likely, you can imagine the sound of their voices, the touch of their hands, and their unique mannerisms—even if it’s been a while since you’ve seen each other. This is all because our relationships tend to be very concrete, not just theoretical. These are real people who have made a lasting impression on us.
John’s account of Easter Sunday is full of these kinds of specifics: the news from the women, the footrace with Peter, the empty tomb, and the folded burial cloths. John’s relationship with the Lord was a real, concrete friendship. It was full of physical realities and shared experiences. As John makes clear in today’s first reading, these realities are at the heart of the good news that he wants to share with everyone.
As physical and concrete as our earthly relationships are, our relationship with Jesus is somewhat different. We can’t see his look of love. We can’t put our arm around his shoulder or hear the various tones in his voice. And yet, despite these differences, we can still have a real, personal friendship with him. We can spend time with him and come to know him intimately, just as we would with any other friend. As we develop our relationship with him, we will begin to treasure some unique, personal stories of our own—stories that are just as vivid as John’s story about the empty tomb.
This is why prayer is so vital for us. Not just because it’s a good thing to do, but because it’s in prayer that we develop a living, concrete relationship with Jesus. So take a few minutes today to linger over this Gospel passage. Close your eyes, and imagine being in John’s sandals. Hear the news of the women, take off running along with Peter, see the cave, follow Peter in, see the grave clothes. This can mean only one thing. Let the realization of his resurrection hit you. Let your heart race. Your friend Jesus has risen! He is alive, and he wants to find you!
“Lord Jesus, thank you for drawing me to yourself in friendship.” Amen!
1 John 1:1-2 From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.
3-4 We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!
Psalms 97:1 God rules: there’s something to shout over!
On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate!
2 Bright clouds and storm clouds circle ’round him;
Right and justice anchor his rule.
5 The mountains take one look at God
And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord.
6 The heavens announce that he’ll set everything right,
And everyone will see it happen—glorious!
11 Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people,
Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.
12 So, God’s people, shout praise to God,
Give thanks to our Holy God!
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