Introductory Stanza: The Word was the light of men
1 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 were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
1st Stanza: John the Baptist was not the light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
2nd Stanza: His own did not recognise the true light
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
3rd Stanza: Those who believed became children of God
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 nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
4th stanza: The Word became flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
The Word made flesh ranks before John
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
EXPLANATION
Introduction
St. John the Evangelist is the author of the Gospel called after him including these first eighteen verses of this book. His writings are not always easy to follow and many would regard these verses as among the more difficult texts. They have been described frequently as “dense”. They form the prologue or introduction to the Gospel.
One thing that makes the text difficult is that it is a hymn translated into English without the poetic contribution and simplicity of the original. Some editors have presented the poem as an introductory stanza with four other verses whereas others present the same words in a total of four stanzas. Some editors have actually omitted four or five lines.
Another point is that the content is a synopsis of the main points of the first twelve chapters of the Gospel, very condensed, as expected, and so not easy to understand. Many commentators recommend that these chapters be studied in detail first and then return to the Prologue to peruse it at leisure. Several other points could be mentioned but in this presentation these are sufficient now.
St. John’s Prologue, like Genesis, the first book in the Bible, commences with the phrase “In the beginning….” Both refer to Life, light, darkness, “the Word”, etc. which shows that there are connections between the two books.
1 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 were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
“In the beginning was the Word,” — When the very first things came into being, the Word already existed from eternity. The Word is eternal, one of the two qualities being praised in this passage. The second quality of the Word being praised is that it is creative. The verb “was” in the text in this verse is imperfect tense which has the meaning of a continuous period, as distinct from aorist tense which refers to a particular incident at a particular time. In the expression “In the beginning was the Word” the reference is not to a particular incident but to an extended period of activity.
“In the beginning” has a meaning different in Genesis and the Prologue: in Genesis the reference is to the beginning of creation; in the Prologue the reference is to eternity and before creation. In Genesis God created by his word (and God said…); in the Prologue we are told that God created through his Word; the Word was with God.
“In the beginning”: “what this means is that he always was, and that he is eternal. […] For if he is God, as indeed he is, there is nothing prior to him; if he is creator of all things, then he is the First; if he is Lord of all, then everything comes after him — created things and time” (St John Chrysostom, “Hom. on St John”, 2, 4).
“The Word” refers to how God reveals himself. The first most obvious way is through creation: God’s word is creative. The first chapter of the Bible’s first book, Genesis, is a wonderful example. The other books are filled with examples of the mission of the prophets who speak the word of God and it comes true, yet another way in which the power of God’s word is manifested. This manifestation or revelation will become perfect in Christ with the Incarnation (Hb. 1: 1–4; Col. 1: 15–20).
The Prologue in John’s Gospel is very reminiscent of the first chapter of Genesis, on a number of scores:
1) The opening words are the same: “In the beginning…”; in the Gospel they refer to an absolute beginning, that is, from eternity, before time; whereas in Genesis they mean the beginning of Creation and time;
2) There is a difference in the role of the Word: in Genesis, God creates things by his word (“And God said …”); in the Gospel we are told that they were made through the Word of God;
3) In Genesis, God’s work of creation reaches its peak when he creates man in his own image and likeness; in the Gospel, the work of the Incarnate Word culminates when man is raised — by a new creation, as it were — to the dignity of being a son of God.
“and the Word was with God,” — These words emphasise that “the Word” is divine. living in the presence of God. God and the Word are distinct. That does not mean that they are different. The thought in this verse will be repeated in verse 2.
“He was in the beginning with God;” — “the Word” is and was in the presence of God from eternity. This is one more statement of this concept.
“All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” — The one thought which says that “the Word” is creative is repeated here, positively and then negatively. The reason for the positive and negative descriptions is to emphasis that “all things” were created by the Word. This does not mean that the Word is an instrument subordinate and inferior to the Father. The act of creation is common to the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity: the Father, the Word or Son and the Holy Spirit.
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” — “Life” and “Light” are two of God’s special attributes. Life has the meaning of divine or eternal life and it was and is what God intends for all humans. “Light” he produced on the first day of creation as the Light of the World or, as the Reading says, of Men. In him there is absolutely no darkness which represents sin and death. The Life (the Word) is the light of men because he brings them out of the darkness of sin and error (cf. Is 8:23; 9:1–2; Mt 4:15–16; Lk 1:74). Later on Jesus will say: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12; 12:46).
“Life” came directly from the breath of the living God and is so special it lasts only as long as God maintains it.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — Light represents God’s glory and power; darkness is the opposite and it is customary to identify light with God and sin with darkness. Sin has not conquered God.
John the Baptist was not the light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.” — We now enter the second stanza and the first information delivered to us is that John the Baptist was sent by God into the world. This is an Old Testament way of saying that he is a prophet bearing witness. John the Baptist was fully aware of his mission and its limits to preparing the way for the Messiah, God’s Anointed who would follow him into the world.
John’s Gospel speaks of the Baptist’s mission seven times (Jn. 1:6, 15, 19, 29, 35; 3:27; 5:33). We know, of course, that St John the Apostle was a disciple of the Baptist before becoming a disciple of Jesus, and that it was precisely the Baptist who showed the Apostle the way to Christ (cf. 1: 37ff).
“He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.” — Jesus is the “light”, not John the Baptist who came to reveal the role of Jesus in the Holy Land of his time (see Prologue, vv. 4–5).
His own did not recognise the true light
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
“The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.” — The Word is “the true light coming into the world (v. 4) because he is the original and authentic light or revelation giving light to all other lights and to the entire world. John the Baptist was his witness. This world was the world of men and their affairs which included sin.
“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.He came to his own home, and his own people received him not”. — This verse refers to the way in which people refused to accept Christ when he began to evangelise. See St. Paul in Rm. 1: 18–23.
Those who believed became children of God
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 nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” — “Those who received him” are “those who believed in his name”, that is, those who accepted him by faith as the Christ, the Anointed Son of God, which is how he dwells in our hearts and we make a commitment to follow him. He made his followers to be his Father’s children, not just accepted them because of their natural corporeal birth or because some people forced them. “The Son of God became man in order that the sons of men might become sons of God. […] He is the Son of God by nature; we, by grace” (St. Athanasius).
The Word became flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
“And the Word became flesh” — This is the most condensed expression of the mystery of the Incarnation, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, called the Word, became a human being (cf. Gal. 4: 4) whom we call Jesus the Christ.
“flesh” means “man in his totality as man”, that is, The Word became man. The word “incarnation” is a Latin noun meaning ‘in the flesh’.
“and dwelt among us,” — In Sacred Scripture this is normally translated as “and pitched his tent”, referring to the tents during the Exodus in the wilderness for forty years, the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple in Jerusalem. God’s glory as divine was manifest by the cloud that covered the place of residence to reduce the glory which people could not see and live. The most wonderful presence of God on earth was in Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
“full of grace and truth;” — Probably the best substitutes for “grace” would be ‘goodness and mercy for people. For “truth” we might substitute fidelity.
“we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” — God’s glory, his divinity as the only–begotten Son of the Father, was seen in Christ Jesus by contemporaries, especially the apostles, some disciples and many non–believers. They saw this glory through his humanity. Such crowds saw the glory of God by the working of miracles which witnesses had to admit were the result of God’s power. One place where only three had the experience was the transfiguration (Lk. 9: 32–35). Many experienced the resurrection revealing the divinity (cf. Jn 3:11; 1 Jn 1:1).
The Word made flesh ranks before John
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
“John bore witness to him,” — John bore witness to the incarnate Word of God.
“and cried, ‘This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’” — John bore witness to the incarnate Word, the incarnate Son of God, as a divine Person right from Jesus coming to John to be baptised.
John the Baptist was born before Jesus. In the culture of the time in the Holy Land that gave John seniority over Jesus. Yet John is declaring that Jesus had precedence before him. John’s clear reason for this was, “he ranks before me, for he was before me”. John is witnessing to Jesus’ pre–existence as the Word.
“And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace” — Being the Word and divine he has abundance or fulness of goodness, which can be described as grace. “Grace upon grace” is the fulness of grace, the abundance of love and mercy. The greatest gift we have received is being made “children of God”.
“For the law was given through Moses;” — Moses gave the Israelites something distinct and different from himself, the Mosaic Law or the Law of God. It was not Moses’ law even though he gave it to the people.
“grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — “Grace and truth” [goodness and fidelity] are not distinct from Jesus but are identified with him.
“No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” — People do accept that God has not appeared to anyone they have heard of. God does not have a corporeal body so if he did appear to people he would have to provide himself with a body that could be seen or appear as Jesus. If god wishes to “appear” to people we can presume that he would use the method he employed at creation and through the prophets and use words or appear in the body of Jesus as I said. If it is a matter of clarification then that is the role of the Church.
APPLICATION
This has been a long and “dense” passage with some fairly difficult verses and explanations. Due to a technical condition, this TEA must finish shortly and I cannot meet the deadline. I have decided not to attach the APPLICATION. If anyone would like to have a copy I will oblige at the beginning of January
PRELUDE TO JOHN’S GOSPEL
The Prologue or Introduction to St. John’s Gospel is regarded by many as the most profound eighteen verses of Sacred Scripture. Until about forty–five years ago these formed the Gospel in Latin at the end of each Mass. If everyone did not know the passage off by heart the reason was that the recitation was in Latin by the celebrant, as was the whole Mass at the time and for centuries’. It would have been better to present the passage with definite lay–out as a poem or hymn, which it was. The presentation deteriorated over the years and there was not always agreement on whether there were four or five stanzas or verses and some extra lines had crept in, particularly what is the second verse concerning St. John the Baptist. The main theme of the Prelude is praise of Jesus’ divinity and eternity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Certain words are central, such as “Word”, “Life”, “Light” and others also. But the eminent highlight is God becoming Man, the Incarnation: “And the Word was made flesh”. And, of course, the outstanding gift to us is the invitation and opportunity to become children of God sharing his divine life. Even though all things were created by the Word, that does not mean that the Word is an instrument subordinate and inferior to the Father: he is an active principle along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The work of creation is an activity common to the three divine Persons. The term “Person” came into theology a few centuries after Christ. This word refers to the three entities presented in the Bible as Father, Word or Son and Holy Spirit. God is Father as Creator and by his eternal relationship to his only Son who reciprocates the relationship. The Son is also called Word because words were used in creation. The Spirit was sent to the Church by the Father on behalf of the Son and by the Son in person and this reveals the mystery of the Trinity.
Commentary on 2nd Christmas Sunday (C) 2.01.2022
TEXT — John 1: 01–18 — The Word was made Flesh
Introductory Stanza: The Word was the light of men
1 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 were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
1st Stanza: John the Baptist was not the light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
2nd Stanza: His own did not recognise the true light
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
3rd Stanza: Those who believed became children of God
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 nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
4th stanza: The Word became flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
The Word made flesh ranks before John
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
EXPLANATION
Introduction
1 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 were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
“In the beginning was the Word,” — When the very first things came into being, the Word already existed from eternity. The Word is eternal, one of the two qualities being praised in this passage. The second quality of the Word being praised is that it is creative. The verb “was” in the text in this verse is imperfect tense which has the meaning of a continuous period, as distinct from aorist tense which refers to a particular incident at a particular time. In the expression “In the beginning was the Word” the reference is not to a particular incident but to an extended period of activity.
“In the beginning” has a meaning different in Genesis and the Prologue: in Genesis the reference is to the beginning of creation; in the Prologue the reference is to eternity and before creation. In Genesis God created by his word (and God said…); in the Prologue we are told that God created through his Word; the Word was with God.
“In the beginning”: “what this means is that he always was, and that he is eternal. […] For if he is God, as indeed he is, there is nothing prior to him; if he is creator of all things, then he is the First; if he is Lord of all, then everything comes after him — created things and time” (St John Chrysostom, “Hom. on St John”, 2, 4).
“The Word” refers to how God reveals himself. The first most obvious way is through creation: God’s word is creative. The first chapter of the Bible’s first book, Genesis, is a wonderful example. The other books are filled with examples of the mission of the prophets who speak the word of God and it comes true, yet another way in which the power of God’s word is manifested. This manifestation or revelation will become perfect in Christ with the Incarnation (Hb. 1: 1–4; Col. 1: 15–20).
The Prologue in John’s Gospel is very reminiscent of the first chapter of Genesis, on a number of scores:
1) The opening words are the same: “In the beginning…”; in the Gospel they refer to an absolute beginning, that is, from eternity, before time; whereas in Genesis they mean the beginning of Creation and time;
2) There is a difference in the role of the Word: in Genesis, God creates things by his word (“And God said …”); in the Gospel we are told that they were made through the Word of God;
3) In Genesis, God’s work of creation reaches its peak when he creates man in his own image and likeness; in the Gospel, the work of the Incarnate Word culminates when man is raised — by a new creation, as it were — to the dignity of being a son of God.
“and the Word was with God,” — These words emphasise that “the Word” is divine. living in the presence of God. God and the Word are distinct. That does not mean that they are different. The thought in this verse will be repeated in verse 2.
“He was in the beginning with God;” — “the Word” is and was in the presence of God from eternity. This is one more statement of this concept.
“All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” — The one thought which says that “the Word” is creative is repeated here, positively and then negatively. The reason for the positive and negative descriptions is to emphasis that “all things” were created by the Word. This does not mean that the Word is an instrument subordinate and inferior to the Father. The act of creation is common to the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity: the Father, the Word or Son and the Holy Spirit.
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” — “Life” and “Light” are two of God’s special attributes. Life has the meaning of divine or eternal life and it was and is what God intends for all humans. “Light” he produced on the first day of creation as the Light of the World or, as the Reading says, of Men. In him there is absolutely no darkness which represents sin and death. The Life (the Word) is the light of men because he brings them out of the darkness of sin and error (cf. Is 8:23; 9:1–2; Mt 4:15–16; Lk 1:74). Later on Jesus will say: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12; 12:46).
“Life” came directly from the breath of the living God and is so special it lasts only as long as God maintains it.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — Light represents God’s glory and power; darkness is the opposite and it is customary to identify light with God and sin with darkness. Sin has not conquered God.
John the Baptist was not the light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.” — We now enter the second stanza and the first information delivered to us is that John the Baptist was sent by God into the world. This is an Old Testament way of saying that he is a prophet bearing witness. John the Baptist was fully aware of his mission and its limits to preparing the way for the Messiah, God’s Anointed who would follow him into the world.
John’s Gospel speaks of the Baptist’s mission seven times (Jn. 1:6, 15, 19, 29, 35; 3:27; 5:33). We know, of course, that St John the Apostle was a disciple of the Baptist before becoming a disciple of Jesus, and that it was precisely the Baptist who showed the Apostle the way to Christ (cf. 1: 37ff).
“He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.” — Jesus is the “light”, not John the Baptist who came to reveal the role of Jesus in the Holy Land of his time (see Prologue, vv. 4–5).
His own did not recognise the true light
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
“The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.” — The Word is “the true light coming into the world (v. 4) because he is the original and authentic light or revelation giving light to all other lights and to the entire world. John the Baptist was his witness. This world was the world of men and their affairs which included sin.
“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not”. — This verse refers to the way in which people refused to accept Christ when he began to evangelise. See St. Paul in Rm. 1: 18–23.
Those who believed became children of God
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 nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” — “Those who received him” are “those who believed in his name”, that is, those who accepted him by faith as the Christ, the Anointed Son of God, which is how he dwells in our hearts and we make a commitment to follow him. He made his followers to be his Father’s children, not just accepted them because of their natural corporeal birth or because some people forced them. “The Son of God became man in order that the sons of men might become sons of God. […] He is the Son of God by nature; we, by grace” (St. Athanasius).
The Word became flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
“And the Word became flesh” — This is the most condensed expression of the mystery of the Incarnation, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, called the Word, became a human being (cf. Gal. 4: 4) whom we call Jesus the Christ.
“flesh” means “man in his totality as man”, that is, The Word became man. The word “incarnation” is a Latin noun meaning ‘in the flesh’.
“and dwelt among us,” — In Sacred Scripture this is normally translated as “and pitched his tent”, referring to the tents during the Exodus in the wilderness for forty years, the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple in Jerusalem. God’s glory as divine was manifest by the cloud that covered the place of residence to reduce the glory which people could not see and live. The most wonderful presence of God on earth was in Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
“full of grace and truth;” — Probably the best substitutes for “grace” would be ‘goodness and mercy for people. For “truth” we might substitute fidelity.
“we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” — God’s glory, his divinity as the only–begotten Son of the Father, was seen in Christ Jesus by contemporaries, especially the apostles, some disciples and many non–believers. They saw this glory through his humanity. Such crowds saw the glory of God by the working of miracles which witnesses had to admit were the result of God’s power. One place where only three had the experience was the transfiguration (Lk. 9: 32–35). Many experienced the resurrection revealing the divinity (cf. Jn 3:11; 1 Jn 1:1).
The Word made flesh ranks before John
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
“John bore witness to him,” — John bore witness to the incarnate Word of God.
“and cried, ‘This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’” — John bore witness to the incarnate Word, the incarnate Son of God, as a divine Person right from Jesus coming to John to be baptised.
John the Baptist was born before Jesus. In the culture of the time in the Holy Land that gave John seniority over Jesus. Yet John is declaring that Jesus had precedence before him. John’s clear reason for this was, “he ranks before me, for he was before me”. John is witnessing to Jesus’ pre–existence as the Word.
“And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace” — Being the Word and divine he has abundance or fulness of goodness, which can be described as grace. “Grace upon grace” is the fulness of grace, the abundance of love and mercy. The greatest gift we have received is being made “children of God”.
“For the law was given through Moses;” — Moses gave the Israelites something distinct and different from himself, the Mosaic Law or the Law of God. It was not Moses’ law even though he gave it to the people.
“grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — “Grace and truth” [goodness and fidelity] are not distinct from Jesus but are identified with him.
“No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” — People do accept that God has not appeared to anyone they have heard of. God does not have a corporeal body so if he did appear to people he would have to provide himself with a body that could be seen or appear as Jesus. If god wishes to “appear” to people we can presume that he would use the method he employed at creation and through the prophets and use words or appear in the body of Jesus as I said. If it is a matter of clarification then that is the role of the Church.
APPLICATION
This has been a long and “dense” passage with some fairly difficult verses and explanations. Due to a technical condition, this TEA must finish shortly and I cannot meet the deadline. I have decided not to attach the APPLICATION. If anyone would like to have a copy I will oblige at the beginning of January
PRELUDE TO JOHN’S GOSPEL
The Prologue or Introduction to St. John’s Gospel is regarded by many as the most profound eighteen verses of Sacred Scripture. Until about forty–five years ago these formed the Gospel in Latin at the end of each Mass. If everyone did not know the passage off by heart the reason was that the recitation was in Latin by the celebrant, as was the whole Mass at the time and for centuries’.
It would have been better to present the passage with definite lay–out as a poem or hymn, which it was. The presentation deteriorated over the years and there was not always agreement on whether there were four or five stanzas or verses and some extra lines had crept in, particularly what is the second verse concerning St. John the Baptist.
The main theme of the Prelude is praise of Jesus’ divinity and eternity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Certain words are central, such as “Word”, “Life”, “Light” and others also. But the eminent highlight is God becoming Man, the Incarnation: “And the Word was made flesh”. And, of course, the outstanding gift to us is the invitation and opportunity to become children of God sharing his divine life.
Even though all things were created by the Word, that does not mean that the Word is an instrument subordinate and inferior to the Father: he is an active principle along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The work of creation is an activity common to the three divine Persons.
The term “Person” came into theology a few centuries after Christ. This word refers to the three entities presented in the Bible as Father, Word or Son and Holy Spirit. God is Father as Creator and by his eternal relationship to his only Son who reciprocates the relationship. The Son is also called Word because words were used in creation. The Spirit was sent to the Church by the Father on behalf of the Son and by the Son in person and this reveals the mystery of the Trinity.