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Tag Archives: John the Evangelist

Schooled in Love

27 Saturday Dec 2014

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beloved, God is love, John the Evangelist, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

XJL86560When I was in 8th grade many Roman Catholic parishes had their own schools, some of which went all the way through grade 12. I was in a small school whose classes ended after eighth grade. In order to continue to receive a Catholic education I and my classmates were required to take an entrance examination and indicate at the conclusion of the test our first three choices of the high schools we desired to attend in order of preference. There was no preparation for the test and I remember nothing about it except the venue. It was on a Saturday morning in the winter. Anxious 13-14 year-olds were admitted to a large basement cafeteria through a chain-link fence in what I remember as orderly silence. We had spent many conversations in the previous weeks discussing the relative merits of possible choices of schools. Should we go for those that had the best reputations or settle for the ones closest to our homes or those to which we could be more certain of gaining admittance? I have a feeling parents were more involved in the choice than I recall, but my choice between the two top schools on my list came down to the uniform. St. John the Baptist girls were wearing rather unflattering maroon jumpers with long-sleeved tan blouses while St. John the Evangelist had navy blue blazers, white blouses and red & blue plaid skirts. Who wouldn’t have chosen to be an Evangelist girl? The joke was on me as the Baptist uniforms were changed the next year to be exactly like the one I was wearing – except that the plaid skirts were maroon and white! Regardless of the reason, I was lucky enough to be accepted for my first choice and loved everything about my high school days.

Today the feast of St. John the Evangelist is celebrated in my Church. Scripture scholarship now dates the Gospel of John as having been written at the beginning of the second century in the Christian era, thus making it virtually impossible for the disciple “whom Jesus loved” to be the author of the text. it is clear, however, that the themes of the gospel, three letters and the Book of Revelation (those books attributed to him) were carried forward until written down by John’s disciples. One commentary touched a chord in me as my own “golden rule” – a theme which undoubtedly permeated my high school days as well as my adulthood and was more important to my inner life than what I wore to school. The website http://www.americancatholic.org says:

A persistent story has it that John’s “parishioners” grew tired of his one sermon, which relentlessly emphasized “Love one another.” Whether the story is true or not it has basis in John’s writing: “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in them.” (1 John 4:16)

Saints in the Making

01 Saturday Nov 2014

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All Saints Day, beatitudes, children of God, John, John the Evangelist, Matthew, psalm 24, saints, St. Paul, The Sermon on the Mount, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

allsaintsToday, after a night of “trick-or-treat” where even animals were dressed in costume as someone other than themselves (See the NBC Evening News, 10/31), we celebrate the saints. St. Paul used to call those he encountered on his travels “saints” to impress on them, perhaps, what John the Evangelist meant when he wrote, “See what love God has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God. Yes, we are God’s children now…What we shall be later has not yet been revealed…when it is revealed we shall be like God…(1 JN 3:1-3). This all presupposes an understanding of the process of becoming mature, fully human persons – not perfect at the outset, but by the time we meet God, ready and able to look into God’s eyes and see ourselves as God sees us because we have done our best to become whole/holy. Psalm 24:6, the refrain for this morning, sings repeatedly, “This is the people that longs to see your face…” It seems to me that this is a good expression of the impetus for living life in the best way we can, which is, I believe, all that God asks.

It is true that history focuses on the “great saints” – many of whom have led lives of luxury or debauchery until some cataclysmic event or deep suffering has caused their conversion. Happily, today we are able to point as well to those whose steadiness and goodness all their lives have given us such example that we – if not in an official way – recognize them as saints. The Sermon on the Mount (MT 5:1-12) gives us this morning a “guidebook” of practices that lead to the fullness of life that we call sainthood. Jesus calls “Blessed” those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek and merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, those who hunger and thirst and/or are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

Perhaps today is a day to reflect on what Jesus set out for us as a starter kit to saintliness, seeking in our lives examples of the “categories” listed above. And remember: God is on our side as we seek; “we are already God’s children!” And then we might look around – with God’s eyes – for other “saints in the making” and spend this day as a feast of gratitude. Happy All Saints Day!

Deeper Joy

27 Friday Dec 2013

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Christ, God, Gospel of John, Jesu, Jesus Christ, John, John the Evangelist, New Testament, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, word of life

bibleThe three New Testament letters attributed to John the Evangelist reflect the perspective of John’s gospel, giving us a picture of Christ as the Eternal Word of God, spoken for our benefit. These later writings have nothing in them of the poor conditions of the birth of Jesus about which we have been talking and singing these past days. Actually, there is no birth narrative at all. John is inspired by Greek philosophy and speaks more of the divine nature than the humanity of Jesus. And yet, this morning in the beginning of John’s first letter we read a profound testimony to the kindness of our God who came to us in human form. I suggest it as a text for today as we allow our senses of hearing, sight and touch to speak to us of God.

Beloved, what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life – for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us. 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.

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