by Fr. Tommy Lane
Today we continue to reflect on the birth of Jesus and what it means for our lives. John’s Gospel today begins with the same words as the first book of the Bible, Genesis: “In the beginning…” (John 1:1; Gen 1:1). In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and now there is another new beginning in Jesus. At this second beginning, the beginning of the New Covenant, John tells us, Jesus “came to what was his own.” (John 1:11) Near the end of the Gospel as Jesus was dying on the cross, he asked his apostle John to look after his mother Mary, and John tells us that from that hour he took her to his home (John 19:27). Jesus came to what was his own, and John took Mary to his own home. In John’s Greek, it is the identical expression (eis ta idia)—Jesus going to his own and John taking Mary home—even though we don’t see the similarity in translation. John took Mary home and Jesus came home to dwell with us, but something went wrong; many did not accept Jesus, or to say it another way, many did not take Jesus home. There was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn (Luke 2:7) and during Jesus’ ministry many had no room for Jesus, they did not take him home. John’s Gospel makes it clear that people have to make a decision because of Jesus. Everyone has to decide if they will accept Jesus. Everyone has to decide if they will take Jesus home.
What a privilege it was for John to take Our Lady to his home to look after her. We can all invite Our Lady into our homes, especially by praying the Rosary to her. We can also invite Jesus into our homes; in today’s Gospel, John tells us that to all who did accept Jesus, or to say it another way, to all those who took Jesus home, he gave power to become children of God and his light shone on them. Have you consciously taken Jesus into your own home? Would Jesus feel welcome in your home? Of course, we have already welcomed Jesus to our homes. Can you make Jesus even more welcome? Spending time with Jesus in prayer every day is a great way to welcome Jesus to your home. Reading the Bible, especially the Gospels, opens our hearts to welcome Jesus. Of course, for this we need silence. If there is too much TV, too much internet, or too many other distractions, it will be difficult for Jesus to come home to us. God cannot speak to us if there is noise in our lives.
Taking Jesus home means living in the light of Jesus, with Jesus at the center of our day. When Jesus is at the center of our day it will go much better than without Jesus at the center. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul said to have the same mind as Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5). In other words, Paul invited them to think and do and say as Jesus would. That is living as a child of God. That is having the light of Jesus. If we reject Jesus or do not take him home, if we keep him at a distance, we are in some kind of darkness and missing out on the best that God and life has to offer us. Who wants to be in the dark? It is so much better to be in the light.
John’s Gospel today begins with the same words as the first book of the Bible, Genesis: “In the beginning…”At the beginning of the New Covenant, John tells us, Jesus “came to what was his own” (John 1:11) Can our celebration of Christmas be a new beginning for all of us to take Jesus ever more to our home?
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2020
This homily was delivered near Regensburg while on a research sabbatical.
More Homilies for the Second Sunday after Christmas
Now I know why you had to do it: a Christmas Parable
God does care about you: the Word became flesh and lived among us
Who are you? 2021
Second Reading see Enlightened to our calling and destiny
stories for Christmas