1 John 2:18-21 / John 1:1-18
So we have finally come to the last day of the year 2011.
That might sound nostalgic to some, and melancholic to others, and it depends very much on how the year had turned out and how the events of the year unfolded in our lives.
So we can spend today reminiscing about the days that had gone by, or maybe regretting about some moments or even just wanting to forget about what a traumatic year it had been.
Whatever it might be, the 1st reading begins with this line "Children, these are the last days ..." and it gives a spiritual reflection of what had gone by.
The reading goes on to talk about the tumult caused by the antichrists, and these rivals of Christ have come out of within their own number.
Yet the 1st reading also affirmed the Christian community that it has the knowledge of the truth and that they must remain steadfast to the truth in the face of the chaos and tumult within.
So what is this truth that we already have knowledge of?
That truth is found in the gospel of today. Yes, in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh and He lived among us.
Today's gospel is a summary of who Jesus is and what He wants to do for us.
He wants us to know the truth of His love for us so that we can receive grace upon grace.
In Jesus we see the light and in accepting His truth, we come out of the darkness of sin.
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega; He is the beginning and the end.
In Him we too will find our beginning; in Him we will also know where is our end.
With that knowledge of the truth, we will be able to face the tumult and the chaos of life.