The Father's Gift

#DAYLIGHT – Daily #MenofLight

#GospelReflection

December 25, 2019, Wednesday

Gospel: Jn 1: 1 – 18

Sharer: Bro. Mike Lapid

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The Gospel

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

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Reflection
The Father’s Gift
Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We celebrate Jesus being born in the likeness of men, living with us, becoming like us in everything except sin. He who was in the bosom of the Father from the beginning of time was made flesh on this Christmas day, so that we too can share in God’s life and be with him through eternity.
But while every Christmas story brings to us happy images of angels singing, shepherds quaking at the sight, and kings from afar bearing gifts to the manger of the baby Jesus on this holy night, we also hear the sad story of Mary and Joseph unable to find accommodations at the local inn in Bethlehem.  We also hear of the frightening narrative about King Herod seeking the death of the child Jesus whom he thought would rival him and threaten his throne.
In a similar way, our reading today re-echoes to us this sad tale of the Lord’s rejection; that he who came to his own was rejected by his own; that he who came to the world to be its light was rejected by those who wanted to remain in darkness. With Jesus’ birth, God came in the form of a helpless infant. But he showed himself even more helpless as he took upon himself the rejection of men.
But today’s reading not only tells us of the Lord’s rejection when he came to the world. It also tells us of those who have received and accepted him. The Gospel, for example, cites John the Baptist who came to testify about Jesus as the light. Also, in the days leading to the birth of Jesus, we see Mary and Joseph submitting themselves to God’s will so that his plans may be fulfilled. But more importantly, our reading also exhorts us to receive Jesus and welcome him in our midst because only in doing so, can we be given the power to become God’s children through his immeasurable love and grace.
Today is a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on the gift of the Father to us in the person of Jesus. It will really be a pity if on this beautiful feast of the Lord’s birth, we miss to take the chance to appreciate the gift we have in the person of Jesus. In Jesus, we have received grace upon grace. We simply cannot imagine how blessed we are in him and how much we are and have been loved by God in and through him. Perhaps today, let us resolve to get to know Jesus more so that we can truly understand, love and serve him.

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Prayer
Father, thank you for the gift of Jesus. In becoming man, your Son has become inseparable from me. He became man so that he can lead me to become God - like by making me your child. Teach me father to accept Jesus in my life so I may no longer live in darkness, but live in his light. Amen.

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Assignment:

1.    The Gospel tells us that in Jesus, we have received grace upon grace ( verse 16). Maybe you can recall the graces you have received from Jesus in 2019 and thank him for all these blessings.

Quote:
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. – Jn 1: 16