5th January, Christmas season before Epiphany, Thursday
1 John 3:11-21 / John 1:43-51
Jesus meets Nathanael; Philip said, "Come and see for yourself."
Thomas Huxley was a well-known British biologist and atheist who lived toward the end of the last century. One day he asked a man of simple, deep faith, "What does Jesus mean to you?" The man hesitated, saying, "You're an educated man, and you can easily disclaim whatever I say." But Huxley assured the man, "I didn't ask you to argue with you." So, the man proceeded to tell him. After the man was finished, Huxley said, "I'd give my right hand for your faith in Jesus."
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How would we answer Huxley's question? To the blind, Jesus is sight. To the weak, he is strength. To the ignorant, he is truth. To the hungry, he is bread. To the dead, he is life.
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Today, we hear Jesus call several of his apostles: “Come, follow me,” he says, and they follow him. They recognize him as their Savior, the Son of God. From now on they will not only have to accept his word but also to live as he lived.
This is why the reading from John’s letter fits in very well: the life of the Christian must be marked by love, for Jesus gave his life for us. Love is not a theory or a mere sentiment but an experience of commitment.
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In the beginning there was love. In the end there will still be love. In between however, love will put to the test in order to see if it will stand the test of time. The first test came about when Eve was tempted and both she and Adam failed in the test of love. From then on, love was continually tested with Cain cutting his brother Abel's throat, as the 1st reading recalled. But we don't have to cut someone's throat in order to kill or murder someone. That's also too gruesome for us to do it.
The 1st reading puts it starkly in the reality of life - to hate your brother is to be a murderer. It also reminds us that our love is not be just words or mere talk, but something real and active. God is love and His love is eternal, and He has created us in love and calls us to love. We must believe that only love will stand the test of time, whilst everything else will come and go. And when we come face to face with the God of love, may we offer Him hearts that are filled with loving acts for our neighbours.
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Prayer
Lord, our God, when we do not know what to do or how to live, you refer us to the living example of Jesus, your Son. Help us to learn from him, not in theory but in practice, what it means to love. Give us the courage to follow him by opening with him our hearts to our brothers and sisters and in giving ourselves to them in life and in death by the strength of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord forever.
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Feast day January 5
As a boy, John Neumann lived in Bohemia, which is now part of Czech Republic. He studied hard, for he wanted to be a missionary priest in America. By the time he was twenty-four, he had learned six languages and had completed his studies for the priesthood. He was not ordained, however, because his bishop thought there were enough priests in his country. So John Neumann decided to leave for America, hoping to be ordained there. He said goodbye to his parents and brother and sailed for the United States. When he arrived, he had one suit of clothes and one dollar in his pocket. Three weeks later, the bishop of New York ordained him.
Father John’s first work was with the German-speaking people in mission parishes near Buffalo, New York. He was not considered very handsome, and some people disliked him and his ways. Priests at that time traveled on horseback and went long distances to care for people in neighboring towns and villages. People laughed at the clumsy way Father John rode. Because he was short, his feet did not reach the stirrups. Children made fun of him. John remained silent, however, and continued going about teaching religion, visiting the sick, and training teachers.
Father John felt the need for community life, so he entered the Redemptorist Order. He was the first Redemptorist to make vows in the United States. He became the superior of the American branch of the order. When Father John was forty-one years old, he became the fourth bishop of Philadelphia. Still, some people did not welcome him. They did not care for his accent and his plain style. Besides these people, John had to deal with an anti-Catholic group that was burning convents and schools. Because John felt he wasn’t capable of doing his job, he asked for a smaller diocese, but he was told to stay.
John started Catholic schools in his diocese, for he believed it was very important for children to be educated and taught the ways of Jesus. In eight years Philadelphia’s two Catholic schools grew to one hundred schools. John brought many teaching orders to his diocese. He published two catechisms and many articles.
Bishop John Neumann died of a heart attack while he was walking down the street.
Throughout his life, John Neumann went about his work quietly and humbly. No special honors were given him. He was even unpopular. Only after his death did people begin to talk about their humble, good bishop who worked so hard for God.
