Homily of Saturday in Christmas Octave
By Fr. Williams Onyilo, CSSp
Readings: 1 John 1:1-4, John 20:2-8.
It is most times observed that the closeness of our encounter with a person/ event determines how clearly, passionately and faithfully we speak about the person/event. This is why at funerals closest relatives cry and tremble most times when they talk the deceased.
Today, the church celebrates John the apostle, the beloved; one of the closest apostles of Jesus. And because he was very close to Jesus he always passionate about Jesus and would go extra miles talking about Jesus and doing things for Jesus. In the first reading, he spoke about Jesus in this Strong and passionate language;
“Something which has existed since the beginning,
that we have heard,
and we have seen with our own eyes;
that we have watched
and touched with our hands:
the Word, who is life –
this is our subject.” (1 John 1:1-2).
Not only did he speak passionately for Jesus, he also acted passionately when it comes to doing things for Jesus as shown in the Gospel (John 20:2-8); He was one the two apostles, Mary Magdalene reported to immediately Jesus resurrected from the dead. He out ran Peter, reached the tomb first and believed in the resurrection first. Going further in acting passionately for Jesus, John 19:26 tells us that he was the only apostle that was at the foot of the cross when Jesus Christ died. His writings shows more passion and power in talking about Jesus. For instance,
In narrating the arrest of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, it was John alone among the four Gospel Writers that recorded a dramatic fall of the soldiers, guards and Judas Iscariot. (John 18:4-6) He puts it this way
“Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to Him. So He stepped forward and asked them ‘who is it that you are looking for?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered. ‘I am He’ He said…They moved back and fell to the ground”
The words of John the beloved about Jesus were very passionate and convincing because he was he had closer encounters with Jesus Christ.
Now I want us to imagine that we have people like John the beloved who have had closer encounters with Jesus leading us in our churches today.
