Reading 1
1 Jn 1:1-4
Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of lifeB
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 usB
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.
Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12
Responsorial PsalmR. (12)
Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are around him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Gospel
Jn 20:1a and 2-8
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
Meditation: 1 John 1:1-4
St. John
What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you. (1 John 1:3)
If there was a job that listed one of the requirements as “spent a lot of time with Jesus,” John would certainly qualify for it. He was present at the Transfiguration and at Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. He sat right beside him at the Last Supper, and he was the only disciple who stood with Mary at the crucifixion. Instead of calling himself “the one whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23), John could just as truthfully have named himself “the one who loved Jesus”!
It was this closeness to Jesus that gives John’s words so much weight. Imagine what might have happened if John had simply heard about Jesus secondhand, then decided to start preaching the gospel. He would have failed miserably! However, like his fellow apostle, Simon Peter, John was not telling “cleverly devised myths” (2 Peter 1:16). His words had the ring of truth because he had been so personally connected with Truth Incarnate.
But the gospel doesn’t end with John’s testimony. Because of the Holy Spirit, each and every one of us can experience Jesus deeply. And that can happen in a powerful way as we read and ponder Scripture. That’s because the word of God is more than just words. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is “living and effective,” filled with the potential to bring us face-to-face with Jesus (Hebrews 4:12). And because of this, Scripture has the power to make stories like the Transfiguration, Gethsemane, and Calvary come alive for us and change our hearts.
If you want to delve deeper into Scripture, consider John as a starting point. His Gospel gives special insights into Jesus’ divinity and mission—and into how Jesus can work in our lives. Maybe you can take the next couple of weeks and follow John as he journeys with the Lord. Read one chapter each day. But read slowly and prayerfully. Give the Spirit the chance to speak to your heart. Let him reveal Jesus to you in a new way. Who knows? Maybe you will become like John, telling other people about how you have come to know the Lord!
“Holy Spirit, open my heart to the word of God! As I read and pray through Scripture, help me reflect the goodness and mercy of Jesus.”
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