ADVENT Meditation: Day 25

(John 1:1-18)

The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!—came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and Life was Light to live by.

The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out. There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light. The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.

The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out,

true from start to finish. John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact, was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.” We all live off his generous abundance, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, This endless knowing and understanding— all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day.

Meditation: Lectio Divina

Reflect on the following passage using a practice called "Lectio Divina" Read the passage 4 times in the following way:

1. Read- allowing the words to be heard and wash over you like water.

2. Reflect- mindfully consider a particular word or phrase that stands out to you.

3. Respond- what are you compelled to do after discerning this word or phrase? How is God calling you into prayerful action?

4. Rest- Simply sit in contemplation and rest in this word. Rest with God and allow this presence to become a prayer.