Homily
3rd Day in the Octave of Christmas
Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
27 December 2018
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas
Strange, isn't it, that the Church celebrates not a Feast of St. Joseph, but a Feast of St. John, during the days of Christmas. St. Joseph, poor guy, who was not afraid to take Mary under his roof and who busted his tail to provide us the Christmas mystery, gets lumped in with his Holy Family this Sunday. Yet St. John, who was nowhere to be seen at Bethlehem, gets day number three all to himself. Why celebrate an apostle or evangelist at all during Christmas? The dudes were not around. Only St. Joseph and mangy beasts and shepherds.
The Church begs us to recall by this Feast that every Mass, while perhaps highlighting a particular mystery, always contains all the mysteries of Christ. Bethlehem is always joined to Calvary and the empty tomb, and vice versa, with the mysteries always interpenetrating during the Mass. Was John physically and historically present at Bethlehem? No, of course not. Was Bethlehem present in the upper room, when John rested his head on the breast of the Word Incarnate? Absolutely. Was Bethlehem present at Calvary, the wood of the manger and the wood of the cross informing each other, with John alone among the apostles standing with Mary? Yes, for sure. Was Bethlehem present when Jesus himself asked John to replace Joseph, and take her into his home? I dare say so.
St. Joseph is necessary for the best Christmas contemplation for sure, but so is St. John. Why? Because when we say Merry Christmas, we can translate this popular phrase piously as - to Christ in the Mass through Mary. Mary-Christ-Mass as it were. Since the Mass always joins all mysteries, the Church gives us not only the eyes of St. Joseph but also the eyes of St. John. Yes, even during Christmas, and especially so.
It is no accident that John gives the Church her deepest spiritual expression and contemplation of the Incarnation in the prologue to his Gospel, read on Christmas day. John the evangelist writes from , from the unique vantage point given in today's Gospel, from the empty tomb. Looking at the manger from the tomb and with Mary disposes us all for the deepest receptivity for the Eucharist as we say Mary-Christ-Mass. That's why we need St. John today.
So John is like us. He wasn't there, but Bethlehem came under his roof and deeply into his heart, his family and his Church. Is it any wonder that John alone among the evangelists records the words of the incarnate and resurrected Jesus that we most need to hear, not only at Easter but too at Christmas - Blessed are those who have not seen but have believed!
3rd Day in the Octave of Christmas
Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
27 December 2018
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas
Strange, isn't it, that the Church celebrates not a Feast of St. Joseph, but a Feast of St. John, during the days of Christmas. St. Joseph, poor guy, who was not afraid to take Mary under his roof and who busted his tail to provide us the Christmas mystery, gets lumped in with his Holy Family this Sunday. Yet St. John, who was nowhere to be seen at Bethlehem, gets day number three all to himself. Why celebrate an apostle or evangelist at all during Christmas? The dudes were not around. Only St. Joseph and mangy beasts and shepherds.
The Church begs us to recall by this Feast that every Mass, while perhaps highlighting a particular mystery, always contains all the mysteries of Christ. Bethlehem is always joined to Calvary and the empty tomb, and vice versa, with the mysteries always interpenetrating during the Mass. Was John physically and historically present at Bethlehem? No, of course not. Was Bethlehem present in the upper room, when John rested his head on the breast of the Word Incarnate? Absolutely. Was Bethlehem present at Calvary, the wood of the manger and the wood of the cross informing each other, with John alone among the apostles standing with Mary? Yes, for sure. Was Bethlehem present when Jesus himself asked John to replace Joseph, and take her into his home? I dare say so.
St. Joseph is necessary for the best Christmas contemplation for sure, but so is St. John. Why? Because when we say Merry Christmas, we can translate this popular phrase piously as - to Christ in the Mass through Mary. Mary-Christ-Mass as it were. Since the Mass always joins all mysteries, the Church gives us not only the eyes of St. Joseph but also the eyes of St. John. Yes, even during Christmas, and especially so.
It is no accident that John gives the Church her deepest spiritual expression and contemplation of the Incarnation in the prologue to his Gospel, read on Christmas day. John the evangelist writes from , from the unique vantage point given in today's Gospel, from the empty tomb. Looking at the manger from the tomb and with Mary disposes us all for the deepest receptivity for the Eucharist as we say Mary-Christ-Mass. That's why we need St. John today.
So John is like us. He wasn't there, but Bethlehem came under his roof and deeply into his heart, his family and his Church. Is it any wonder that John alone among the evangelists records the words of the incarnate and resurrected Jesus that we most need to hear, not only at Easter but too at Christmas - Blessed are those who have not seen but have believed!
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