Saint John, Apostle, Evangelist

John starts his gospel (Chapter 1) with the words “In the beginning.” His first letter also begins with similar words today – “What was from the beginning.” And the reading today from Chapter 20 is similar in tone, in that the holy women (where were the men??) visited Jesus’ tomb on the first day – the beginning – of the week. This use of the same phrase/meaning in a variety of writings has been the focus of my reflections for these readings.
We have many beginnings in our lives, some more eagerly anticipated and welcomed than others. Each beginning is an opportunity.
Each day, each encounter, each moment is a gift from which we can learn to be more faithful in loving God and God’s creation. In each moment we have a choice to move closer God by following the example of Jesus.
And so my prayer today is to express my profound gratitude for the freshness that each new beginning can bring, and also for the strength to learn from my mistakes and weaknesses, so I can use each beginning as a generous response to God’s gifts and not as a selfish focus on my own desires.