27/12/2024

The days after Christmas can be very dark and dismal for us in the northern hemisphere. I read the designated mass readings for yesterday and admired the courage of St Stephen. I was also, yet again intrigued by the part played by Saul the young man who did not throw but guarded the garments of those who did.

Today's Gospel reading is also intriguing. St John feels that the seemingly trivial fact that he was able to run faster than St Peter is important enough to include in his memoir of the day when God completed his revelation of himself and his intention for mankind. We, too are to rise again.  Nothing could be more important than that and yet John stresses that by an act of his own will he stopped and chose to follow Peter into the empty tomb.

Churchmen interpret this  giving way to Peter as an acknowledgement of Peter's first  place in the Church. In the community of believers that grew to become the Church of Christians who had first place among them was immaterial for they all had personal knowledge of Jesus and it is certain that James, the brother of the Lord,  had leadership of the Church in Jerusalem that was composed mainly of Jews.

Jesus had previously reprimanded the mother of James and John for seeking advantage for her sons in the "kingdom" that was to be. He had certainly given "the power of the keys" to Peter but even before the time Constantine decided to stop the Imperial persecution of Christians the institutions based in Antioch, Alexandria and Rome were quarrelling both internally within themselves and externally with each other about both precedence and doctrine.

God's grace has never left us alone and each one of us can deny the world, flesh and devil but the reality, the downright evil of most of our world today cannot be denied. Historically, there have been many evil deeds done in God's name by the "Church". My generation has been shocked by personal perversions that have come to light in spite of the hierarchical coverups.

We can still be sure, however, that we can be part of the mystical body of Christ by doing the will of IAMFATHERSONHOLYSPIRIT for Jesus entrusted Mary and John to each other's care and Mary is still Theotokos as she has always been since she heard the "message of an angel". God's grace is channelled through Mary and all the Saints directly into the hearts that are open to receive it. May I be one of those. Amen