HOLD ON! START OVER AGAINóFROM THE BEGINNING

25/12/03 Christmas Day(C) John 1: 1-5, 9-14

St. Patrickís parish is in Kowloon, Hong Kong.Ý There are four weekend Masses including a childrenís Mass at 10:45, Sunday.Ý This is the parish where I was formerly pastor. [email protected].Ý Cf. also Social Concerns Education: www.acpp.org -- Fr. Gene Thalman M.M.]

 

A VERY JOYFUL CHRISTMAS TO ALL READERS!

óFr. Gene Thalman.

 

I would like each of you to think about your life story. [Long pause]. Now a good way to tell any story is to begin at the very beginning.Ý Where would you begin your life story?

 

Perhaps you would begin your story with your father and mother and the nine months before you were born.Ý Your parents started caring for you and loving you even before you were born?

 

During the nine months preceding your birth, your mother made many sacrifices for you.Ý She may have had to eat special foods that she didnít likeólike prunes and broccoli. She had to stop eating fast foods and potato chips. Before you were born your mother already loved you. She wanted to have a healthy body to house you during the following nine months.Ý And after you were born she needed to be in good health to take care of you at any time of the day or nightówhenever you cried. Perhaps your father had to give up smoking, take on an extra job and cut out late night carousing with friends and ruffians.Ý Yes, the story of your life began months before you were born.Ý Your parents loved and cared for you even before you were born.Ý That is how you might think of beginning your life story.

 

But actually each of your lifeís stories began even earlier than nine months before your birth.

 

GODíS WORD:Ý In todayís gospel reading, St. John informs us of the ìbeginningî time-- long, long ago when God began loving and caring for us.Ý It was the ìbeginningî of Godís plan to send his beloved Son to be with us and lead us to eternal safety.

 

ìIn the beginning was the Word; the Word was in Godís presence, and the Word was God.î [Jn 1:1]Ý [NAB]

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Our personal Christmas story begins in eternity.

 

ÝìThe Word was God,î

 

St. John tells that the Word was the second person of the blessed Trinity.Ý Because the ìWord was God,î he was eternal, there never was a time when the Word did not exist. The Christmas story begins in eternity.

 

ìThrough him all things came into being and apart from him nothing came to be.î

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ John tells us that at some point in time, according to modern scientists-fifteen to twenty billion years ago, God began a long process of creation.Ý About forty thousand years a new kind of creature appeared on earth.Ý We would have hesitated inviting one of these creatures to our house for dinner.Ý Nevertheless these creatures, our ancestors, had much in common with us.Ý These folks could think about things, talk to one another, love others and know that others loved them.Ý It certainly took a long time to get you and me.Ý It was Godís long-range plan.

 

 

Whatever came to be in him,

found lifeÖî

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ But there was more to Godís plan.Ý God wanted to share his very life with each of us human beings.Ý And already billions of years ago, God planned to do this by sending his Son, Jesus, true God and true man, to give us this life.Ý He did!Ý It would be through Jesus, the Son of God, that all human beings would find the fullness of lifeódivine life. That is why we Christians of St. Patrickís community are so happy this Christmas day, 2003.ÝÝ

 

OUR RESPONSE:

 

Be full of wonder at the billions of years that preceded the birth of Christ and the birth of each of us. Think a lot about this during this Christmas week.Ý God began loving and caring for you and me billions of years before we were born!Ý God thinks that everyone of us is real important and precious.

 

Ý How many of you will try to remember to think of this often during the coming week?Ý If you are in a family, at grace before meals, remind each other about the many years God had been preparing for the birth of Jesus and for the birth of each member of your family.

 

If any family remembers to do this each day during the coming week, next Sunday I will give each member of that family a holy card. I will!

Ý

If you will attempt to do this, stand up now and recite the Creed.

 

FINALEÝ ÝA good way to tell the story of Jesus is to ìstart from the beginningî-- just the way St. John did in this morningís Christmas gospel.

 

 

HOMILETIC NOTES AND STUFF

25/12/03ÝÝ Christmas Day (C)Ý John 1: 1-5, 9-14

 

ONE WORD:Ý Beginning

 

THREE WORDS:Ý Beginning of Christmas Story

 

THEME:Ý The Christmas story and our story began in eternity.

 

TEXT:Ý ìIn the beginningÖî

 

DESIRED RESULT:Ý Father, your Christmas Day homily was okay. I couldnít get it out of my head all week that God was thinking about me billions of years ago.Ý It made me feel like a VIP (very important person).

 

CHURCHíS POINT OF VIEW

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ ìThe coming of Godís Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes everything converge on Christ: all the rituals and sacrifices, figures and symbols of the ëFirst Covenant.íîÝ

 

Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Mission Hills: Benziger Publishing Co, 1994),Ý #522, p. 131-132.

 

REFERENCES:

 

ìThe prologue [of St. Johnís Gospel] gives in a nutshell the content of the gospel in relation to the evangelistís purpose of revealing the true identity and mission of Jesus to the audience.Ý It may be likened to the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke in that it deals with Jesusí origins and announces the nature of his mission.îÝ

 

Teresa Okure, ìJohnî, in The International Bible Commentary, ed. by William R. Farmer (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1998), p. 1459.

 

 

Chewing, Digesting and DOING Godís Word

25/12/03ÝÝÝÝ Christmas Day(C)Ý John 1: 1-5, 9-14

 

NAME_________ Grade_____________

 

1. When telling a story, it is best to start at the very b_______.

2. In his gospel, at what point did St. Luke begin the Story of Jesus?

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ ______________________________________________

3. In his gospel, at what point did St. Matthew begin the Story ofÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

ÝÝÝ Jesus?Ý ____________________________________

4. When did God start planning for the birth of Jesus? ________

5.Ý When did God start planning for your birth? ______________