The Octave of Christmas - FEAST OF SAINT JOHN - APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST - Gospel (Jn 20:1a. 2-8) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first.” (Jn 20:4)

FIRST READING - 1 Jn 1:1-4

A reading from the Letter of John

Beloved:

What was from the beginning,

what we have heard,

what we have seen with our eyes,

what we looked upon

and touched with our hands

concerns the Word of life —

for the life was made visible;

we have seen it and testify to it

and proclaim to you the eternal life

that was with the Father and was made visible to us—

what we have seen and heard

we proclaim now to you,

so that you too may have fellowship with us;

for our fellowship is with the Father

and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Jn 20:1a and 2-8

From the Gospel according to John

On the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter

and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,

"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,

and we do not know where they put him."

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter

and arrived at the tomb first;

he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him,

he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,

and the cloth that had covered his head,

not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

Then the other disciple also went in,

the one who had arrived at the tomb first,

and he saw and believed.

The Octave of Christmas - FEAST OF SAINT JOHN - APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST - Gospel (Jn 20:1a. 2-8) THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God tells all humanity to believe and listen to the words of Saint John the Apostle. He is a sharp instrument of God. Everything that the Holy Spirit inspired or showed him with his own eyes about the life of Jesus Christ, God incarnated as a human, God wanted Saint John to convey to humanity so that humanity can also believe in God and have eternal life.

God wants to remind humanity that when following God, they will be purified and refined by Him to be closer to God. To do so, God wants all those who wish to become disciples of Jesus Christ to also undergo God's purification, know how to convert their lives, abandon the path of sin and follow God, and carry the cross with Him up to Calvary. God lets people know that when God chose him to join His work, Saint John must also abandon everything belonging to the world, abandon all anger, resentment, jealousy, selfishness, greed, anger, and ignorance.

Today, God also wants His apostles or shepherds to follow the example of Saint John, abandoning everything belonging to the material world, abandoning all greed, anger, ignorance, and sins belonging to the world, to completely belong to God. When following God to work for Him, He wants purification, a test of loyalty so that God can give them more strength to accept His will and to put it into practice as well as to convey His Word to humanity.

Saint John was an apostle who was especially loved by God, but he still had a bad temper, was still irritable and arrogant. However, after a period of living next to Jesus Christ, Saint John opened his heart to listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ and knew how to give up everything that belonged to the world.

Today, God also desires everyone to follow the example of the beloved apostle of Jesus Christ, to be faithful, obedient, and to have absolute faith in the Word He taught and put it into practice. If we can live like that, the spirit of the Holy Spirit will work in that person and they will listen to God's will and put it into practice, as well as carry out the mission that God has given to bring God's love and saving mercy to all of their brothers and sisters.

God wants everyone to follow the example of Jesus Christ who gave His love and mercy to all of humanity. He does not exclude anyone but invites everyone to participate in God's work. God places each soul in a different position, but what is important is how that soul responds to God. God wants everyone to thank God and be faithful to Him, loyal to the mission that He gives each soul.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 december 27th, 2024 Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven