Faith Daily | 27 December 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p 476

Almighty God,

you have shed upon us

the light of your incarnate Word:

may this light, kindled in our hearts,

shine forth in our lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

COLLECT PRAYER FOR JOHN, APOSTLE and EVANGELIST

Shed upon your Church, O Lord,

the brightness of your light,

so that we, being illumined by the teaching

of John the evangelist,

may walk in the light of your truth,

and be brought to the fullness of eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: John 20: 2-8

'So Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.'

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Alison Dorman

Some commentaries say that the ‘other disciple’ wasn’t named because he represents us. Can I go into the empty tomb, see and believe? John was known as the beloved disciple. We are all beloved disciples. How do I feel about putting myself into the shoes of the ‘disciple that Jesus loved', entering the tomb and believing?

John was different to blustery Peter who was all about action. John looked for the mystery in the situation and reflected on it. John’s gospel begins not with the stable in Bethlehem but at the beginning of creation.

What does it take for us to ‘take the long view’ and reflect on the Wonder of God throughout all creation and to accept without sight the mystery of creation, the incarnation and the resurrection.

John and Peter were very different characters and Jesus loved them both as we are loved. Both personalities are needed in the Kingdom. Both of these characters ‘saw and believed’. We all have parts of Peter and of John in our personalities. As I write this (in Advent) it is very easy to get caught up in being ‘Peter’, rushing around ‘preparing’ for Christmas, after all it is a time of giving and none of us wants to be caught out not having enough to give or to be less than prepared. I am guilty of being caught up in that mode and not remembering that in this time, we are called to ‘be prepared’, and reflect on, not the rush, but the mystery of the Christ child born into our World. Like John we are to be amazed yet again at the miracle in a new way. We need to take the long view, that we are here for a very short time and that what matters is our relationship with Jesus the Christ for all of that time.

One of my great learnings during the pandemic is to be prepared, to make plans, but to be prepared to change them, as we all have had to do constantly. Maybe this is the lesson we need to practice in living out our faith, to be prepared and make plans for our lives, but prepare to be surprised by what God has in store for us. It is sure to be ‘the better way’.

FINAL PRAYER: G.M. Hopkins

Risen Lord, help me to see beyond the obvious and understand your ways. You show me you are alive and active in my moments of glad discovery, in touches of gladness, in enriching encounters, in the kindnesses of others. Always you come delicately. ‘I greet you the days I meet you, and bless when I understand’ . Amen.