The Eternal Word Among Us: Contemplating the Mystery of the Incarnation (Wed, December 31, 2025)

This reflection for Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas and the final day of the year, explores the profound depths of the Prologue to John’s Gospel. It describes this passage (John 1:1-18) as one of the most theologically rich in Scripture, revealing that Jesus is the Eternal Word who existed before time began, co-existing in perfect union with the Father. By echoing the opening words of Genesis, "In the beginning," Saint John shows that the same Word who founded the earth has now "leaped down from heaven" to dwell among us in human form. Key insights include: • Truly God and Truly Man: Jesus Christ assumed a human nature—working with human hands and loving with a human heart—without ever ceasing to be God. This "great mystery" was necessary to heal our fallen nature and raise us from the darkness of sin. • The Gift of Contemplation: Saint John the Evangelist is presented as a model of infused contemplative knowledge. Having "leaned on Jesus' breast," his understanding of the Lord deepened after Pentecost, recognizing that the Word was now present within him by grace. • Partakers of Divinity: The ultimate purpose of the Incarnation is a "great exchange": Jesus became a partaker of our humanity so that we might become partakers of His divine nature and children of God. • An Invitation to Interior Union: As the year closes, we are invited to move beyond a mere mental grasp of these mysteries and enter into a deep, transformative union with Christ through the Sacraments, Scripture, and quiet prayer. On this New Year's Eve, we reflect on the light that "shines in the darkness" and ask for the grace to behold the glory of the Word made flesh in our own lives. (Based on Gospel reading: John 1:1–18 and the memorial of Saint Sylvester I). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To understand the mystery of the Word becoming flesh, think of a master composer who enters his own symphony as a single note: he does not cease to be the author of the entire work, but by becoming part of the music, he allows every other note to find its true harmony and purpose.