Word Made Flesh | December 31, 2015

December 31, 2015

I love words. One stellar word can help me find comfort, hear grace, see beauty, feel love, taste light, and smell the fragrance of Christ. Words resonate in my soul through poetry, song lyrics, conversations, and even fonts or graphic design. I love arranging words creatively and visually and I love using words in my prayer. Prayer words help me to focus my mind and my heart on one particular aspect of the spiritual life. I find that breaking things down into smaller bite sized chunks works for me and perhaps it will work for you as well.

Today’s gospel is the incredible opening of the gospel according to John, Jesus’ beloved apostle and best friend. It is highly theological in its context, but deeply personal in its revelation that Jesus himself is God’s word made flesh. Read this:

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came to be through him,

and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be through him was life,

and this life was the light of the human race;

the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

Isn’t that stunning? “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” I can’t think of a better way to end this year than with this TRUE statement. The light of Christ, which is in each and every one of us, cannot be overcome by darkness. This year has been a terribly wild roller coaster ride with lots of loss, grief, and tribulations, but even more blessings, celebrations, and miracles. I can choose to mourn or I can choose to rejoice…I declare a mandatory dance party at some point today because God is good all the time (even when we are not good)!

There are many things for which I am grateful from this past year, but I must say that the writing of this blog is at the top of that list. It began as an assignment from my spiritual director and it turned into a real journey of discovering gifts, talents, thoughts, feelings, and wonder through the Word of God. I’m usually not at a loss for words, but I’m not sure I can ever express how much I have grown as a result of praying so deeply through scripture. I hope that you will continue to embark on this incredible journey with me as we enter into a new year of promise, hope, blessing, and grace. As a writer, I have learned that words connect us, destroy us, heal us, free us, hurt us, make us feel safe, make us feel small, give us grace, comfort, love, kindness, and that words have power. I know this because I have used words for all of the above, and I know that my words in particular can cut like a knife, but also can bring tremendous compassion and comfort. I must be better with my words. I must use them only for good. This is my New Years Resolution: To only use words that bring about life, love, and kindness.  

In the spirit of today’s gospel where Jesus is the Word and along with my love of words, I’d like to suggest one prayer word for every month of 2016. I’ve chosen some of my favorite words that I will use personally for prayer this next year. Feel free to use these words or think of your own words. Write it down so you can see it for the entire month and meditate on that word in your prayer time, journal about it, make art out of it, or just say it once a day. My goal is to allow these prayer words to imprint themselves in my soul so that they become a part of me and my daily interactions, and that they will bring me closer to the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.

Some words that I am considering using:

·      January - Mercy

·      February - Beloved

·      March - Brilliant

·      April - Fragrance

·      May - Favorite

·      June - Wonderful

·      July - Whisper

·      August - Praise

·      September - Treasure

·      October - Song

·      November - Silence

·      December - Gentle

Reading 1 1 JN 2:18-21

Children, it is the last hour; 
and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,
so now many antichrists have appeared. 
Thus we know this is the last hour. 
They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;
if they had been, they would have remained with us. 
Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. 
But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,
and you all have knowledge. 
I write to you not because you do not know the truth 
but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2, 11-12, 13

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day. 
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia JN 1:14A, 12A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him
he gave power to become the children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. 
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, 
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God, 
to those who believe in his name, 
who were born not by natural generation 
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision 
but of God.

And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying, 
“This was he of whom I said, 
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me 
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses, 
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, 
has revealed him.