WORD 2day: The last day of the year
December 31, 2024: 1 John 2: 18-21; John 1: 1-18
There is a repeated reference to the theme of the last days, in the Word today and indeed, it is the last day of this calendar year! As we begin this day, let our hearts be filled with thanksgiving! The light, the true light, and the Word, the Eternal word, is here amidst us! We shall dedicate this day to thank the Lord for all the experiences of the year that is just passing by, with all its ups and downs, with all its highs and lows.
We are invited to pay attention to yet another interesting detail in the readings of the day. The first reading begins with the expression that 'these are the last days', while the Gospel reading begins with the affirmation that 'in the beginning there was Word.' The last days and the beginning, spoken of together: that is the norm of life - something ends and something begins. But in Christ-ian parlance, it is a matter of hope. Specially today as we have universally in the Church initiated the great Jubilee of Hope! In spite of the myriad of things that threated to make the situation gloomy and dark - we can never despair, because the Lord is constanly making everything new for us: behold I make all things new (Rev 21:5).
We would do well today to list to ourselves, everything that we have received from the Lord during this year that we are ending. It would do good also to list the moments of anxiety and pain, possible vulnerabilties and set backs that we have experienced through the year, and contemplate on what they have had to offer or teach us, for our lives. It would be opportune that we consecrate our lives once again today to the holy Will of God, reaffirming to ourselves the marks of the people of God; and the resolve to do away with those thiking that do not fit in to that definition of our identity.