7TH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

In the beginning . . . 

Happy New Year’s Eve! Does the thought of another year make you feel a little apprehensive? For many of us, 2020 was hard. We faced a worldwide pandemic, racial unrest, economic instability, and any number of personal highs and lows. You have probably seen your share of uncertainty or insecurity. What can you do? Take a cue from today’s Gospel and try going back to the beginning (John 1:1-18).

When your circumstances loom large, contemplating the beginning can help give you some perspective. It can convince you that God’s intention hasn’t changed. You are still his beloved son or daughter. He still has good plans for you. Reorienting yourself in this way can help drain anxiety and fear and give you a sense of hope and purpose instead.

So let’s go back to the beginning by working our way through the first verses of today’s Gospel.

“In the beginning was the Word, . . . and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus is God. Before anything began, he existed in the perfect harmony of the Trinity. And he still does today. What’s more, he made you for that eternity, and he’s calling you to have a share in it.

“All things came to be through him. . . . What came to be through him was life” (John 1:3-4). God made each thing intentionally. Nothing is a mistake. It all serves his desire to share his life and love with his creation. You belong to him, and he is working out everything toward the goal of sharing his love with you.

“This life was the light of the human race; . . . and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4, 5). The fact that God shares his life with us is like a light in the darkness of our world. That light can guide us and help us see things the way he sees them. It cannot be extinguished by darkness. So no matter what you face, look for God’s light to dispel any darkness in your heart.

Today is a time of endings, yes, but also beginnings. So as you end this year and anticipate the start of 2021, take some time to go back to the beginning. Let it serve as an anchor at the end of an unsettled year. Let Jesus give you hope for the new things about to start.

“Jesus, you are an eternal, loving God. I can trust you with the future!”

1 John 2:18-21
Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13
John 1:1-18

WORD AMONG US