25th December 2024
Lectionary Readings: Is 52:7-10, Ps. 98, 1. 2-3. 3-4. 5-6, Heb 1:1-6, Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14
Theme: The Manger in my heart.
The gospel of John 1:1 “In the beginning was the word (Logos).” This is a conscious connection to Genesis 1:1, just as much as it says in Genesis 1:1, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Hence, when he wrote his gospel, the apostle John very deliberately connected us back to the point that there was nothing when there was only God before God created anything. Well, in the beginning, it was the word.
The ancient Greek word logos was an interesting idea in both Jewish and Greek cultures; in Jewish culture, people often refer to God as the word “Logos” of God. In Genesis, he says, in the beginning, it was the word. Therefore, it connects something with ancient Jewish culture but also connecting with ancient Greek culture. Greek Philosophers had a sophisticated understanding of what they called logos, and when they said logos, they thought of the intelligence that created and manages the whole world; in short, this intelligent design and beauty when we look around us in the world and we see from the creation that things have been designed and have they own purpose and have been made that they didn’t happen just by accident, and we know that this intelligent designer it’s the mind behind everything and have rationality and having a reason coming forth to us. So, the Gospel of John tells us great and wonderful things about God, and he connects us to where we are in our own culture, being man.
Apostle John Introduced us to the word (Logos) from B’reishit (Genesis), and now there’s a man who bears witness to the word, and we know him later on as John the Baptist. He bore witness of the light and tells us that all through him, we might believe and prepare the way toward Jesus Christ. He makes the point in verse 8 that he wasn’t that light, but he bore witness to the light and deliberately pointed people toward that light (Jesus Christ).
Today is the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas to everyone, but in today’s celebration of the birth of Jesus, we prepare many things in our houses to decorate the Christmas decorations, wrap gifts, cook Noche Buena, etc., but those things are external preparations only. What about the internal preparation? What about the “manger” in your heart? Imagine we are busy outside preparation (external preparation). Still, internally, we forget the place of Baby Jesus, the manger in our hearts, which is the most essential part of this celebration. In a different country, we call the manger,sabsaban, אֵבוּס,praesaepe,manjedoura, pesebre, Rāng h̄ỵ̂ā (รางหญ้า), Kaiba oke (飼い葉桶), máng cỏ, Mǎ cáo (馬槽), pasungan. Still, in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This divine reason became flesh to take on human form, and every year, we celebrated his nativity. However, the manger in our hearts is already ready to receive him or still the same from the last year full of cobwebs because of our sins, no conversion from our wrongdoings seeking power, money, sex, addiction to alcohol and drugs, etc., are we allow it that the Logos became flesh and dwelt among us in the presence of the image of baby Jesus laying in your manger full of dirt and cobwebs because of sins. Christmas is about external and internal preparation and having converted from wrongdoings. Apostle John says in him is Light and Life, and life is for you right here. If you want to reject light and you want to reject life, that’s is your choice, but God respects your choice; God allows us to choose to live in some darkness and death, but that’s not his will for us, We need to select the light and life, that we receive it in the son who dwells among us laying in the manger in your heart so be prepared and welcome him so that we can say thoroughly Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
For Reflection and Discussion: 1. Do I prepare the Mager in my heart? 2. Do I choose to live in darkness and death or choose light and life on this special occasion of Christmas?
Bibliography: McKenzie, J.L. Dictionary of the Bible (New York: 1965) http://gcatholic.org/CatholicStudy
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Dunhill Malunar Timkang, Israel-Jerusalem, Bat Kol Alumna/Alumnus:2023
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