Daily Meditations # 31, 27.12.11

Daily Meditations # 31, 27.12.11

Feast of John the Apostle

1John 1: 1-4

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.

John 20:1a and 2-8

Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed. 

Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the first martyr  St.Stephen and today we celebrate the feast of  the apostle St.John who it is recorded in the Gospel as the first person who believed that Christ rose from the dead. St. John also describes himself in his Gospel as  "the other disciple whom Jesus loved".This is another way of saying that John loved Jesus very much and that is why in his Gospel and in his pastoral letters John gives the greatest importance to the aspect of love in our relations with God and neighbour.

Stephen and John loved Christ very much and were even prepared to lay down their lives for Christ. Stephen proved his love for Christ by his violent death and John proved his love by his life long dedicated and faithful service to Jesus. What counts most is our love for God and neighbour and it is this love which proves that we are having intimate fellowship with God the Father  and  with His son Jesus Christ and with God the Holy Spirit ; Three Divine Persons united in love.

God Bless.