In the Incarnation Life itself has been revealed in person
From the First Letter of the Apostle Saint John 1, 1-2, 3
The Word of Life and the Light of God
What existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what we contemplate and what our hands have touched regarding the Word of Life (because life has manifested itself, and we have seen and we testify and announce to you this eternal life, the one with the Father): what we have seen and heard we announce, with the end that you live in communion with us. And this communion of life is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We write these things down for you so that your joy be overflowing.
And the message we have received from Him and which we transmit to you is this: God is light and in Him there is no darkness. If we say we live in communion with Him and yet we wander about in darkness, we lie and do not practice works in the truth. Yet if we walk in the light, the same way as He who is in the light, then we live in communion, one in all; and the Blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us of all sin.
If we say we do not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not within us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and benevolent to forgive us and purify us from all iniquity. If we say we have not sinned, we are affirming that God lies, and His Word is not within us.
My children, I write to you so that you sin not. If somebody sins, we have an attorney before the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only our own, but those of the entire world.
And we know we have come to know Him if we keep His commandments.
From the First Letter of the Apostle Saint John 1, 1-2, 3
The Word of Life and the Light of God
What existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what we contemplate and what our hands have touched regarding the Word of Life (because life has manifested itself, and we have seen and we testify and announce to you this eternal life, the one with the Father): what we have seen and heard we announce, with the end that you live in communion with us. And this communion of life is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We write these things down for you so that your joy be overflowing.
And the message we have received from Him and which we transmit to you is this: God is light and in Him there is no darkness. If we say we live in communion with Him and yet we wander about in darkness, we lie and do not practice works in the truth. Yet if we walk in the light, the same way as He who is in the light, then we live in communion, one in all; and the Blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us of all sin.
If we say we do not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not within us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and benevolent to forgive us and purify us from all iniquity. If we say we have not sinned, we are affirming that God lies, and His Word is not within us.
My children, I write to you so that you sin not. If somebody sins, we have an attorney before the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only our own, but those of the entire world.
And we know we have come to know Him if we keep His commandments.
From the First Letter of the Apostle Saint John 1, 1-2, 3
The Word of Life and the Light of God
What existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what we contemplate and what our hands have touched regarding the Word of Life (because life has manifested itself, and we have seen and we testify and announce to you this eternal life, the one with the Father): what we have seen and heard we announce, with the end that you live in communion with us. And this communion of life is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We write these things down for you so that your joy be overflowing.
And the message we have received from Him and which we transmit to you is this: God is light and in Him there is no darkness. If we say we live in communion with Him and yet we wander about in darkness, we lie and do not practice works in the truth. Yet if we walk in the light, the same way as He who is in the light, then we live in communion, one in all; and the Blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us of all sin.
If we say we do not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not within us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and benevolent to forgive us and purify us from all iniquity. If we say we have not sinned, we are affirming that God lies, and His Word is not within us.
My children, I write to you so that you sin not. If somebody sins, we have an attorney before the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only our own, but those of the entire world.
And we know we have come to know Him if we keep His commandments.
In the Incarnation Life Itself Has Been Revealed in Person
From the Tractates on the First Letter of Saint John by Saint Augustine, Bishop
(Tract 1,1.3: PL 35, 1978, 1980)
(Tract 1,1.3: PL 35, 1978, 1980)
What has existed since the beginning; what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes and what our own hands have touched regarding the Word of Life: Who could touch with their hands the Word, if it were not for the fact that the Word became flesh and set up its dwelling place amongst us?
This Word, which made itself flesh so that it could be touched, began to be flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary; but that moment was not when it began to be the Word, since, as Saint John tells us, the Word existed since before the beginning. Observe how his letter is concordance with the words of his own gospel, which you have just heard: Already at the very beginning of all things the Word already existed, and the Word was with God.
Perhaps someone might think that the expression "the Word of Life" has to be understood as a manner of referring to Christ, but not to the body of Christ which could be touched by our own hands. Pay close attention to the words that follow: Because life has been manifested. Therefore, Christ is the Word of Life.
And from where has this life been manifested? It existed since the beginning, yet it had not been manifested to men. Instead, it had been manifested to angels, which could see it and feed from it as if it were their own bread. However, what does the Scriptures say? Man ate the bread of angels.
In this manner, then, Life itself has been revealed, in person, in the Incarnation, and it has manifested so that, by making itself visible, it no longer could be contemplated with the eyes of the heart, but could also heal men's hearts. This is because the Word can only be contemplated with the eyes of the heart. In contrast, the flesh can be also contemplated with corporal eyes. We were capable to see flesh, but not the Word; for this reason the Word became flesh, so that it could be seen by us, to heal in us what the Word is capable of making us see.
And we - Saint John continues - testify and announce this eternal Life, which was with the Father and which has been manifested to us; that is, this Life, as the Word, has maniested Itself among us, or to say it with greater clarity: the Word has manifested itself inside our inner being.
What we have seen and heard, we announce. Attention, beloved brothers and sisters: what we have seen and heard, we announce. They saw the very same Lord present in the flesh and they heard the words that emanated from his mouth, and they have announced Him. We, therefore, have heard, but we have not yet seen.
Are we as a result less blissful than those who saw and heard? If that's not the case, then why then does Saint John add: with the end that you live in communion with us? They saw; we did not. Yet, nevertheless, we live in communion with them ... because we have in common, our faith.
And this communion of life is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We write these things - Saint John continues - so that our bliss be overflowing. An overflowing bliss, he writes, in one same communion of Life, in one same charity, in one same unity.
PRAYER
Our God, who made us discover the mysteries of your Word through the means of the Apostle Saint John, grant us to reach a worthy comprehension of all that he has brought to us through our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the Unity of the Holy Spirit and is God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Both excerpts, translated from the Spanish Liturgies of the Hours by Jan Paul von Wendt -
liturgiasdelashoras.com.ar
In the Incarnation Life Itself Has Been Revealed in Person
From the Tractates on the First Letter of Saint John by Saint Augustine, Bishop
(Tract 1,1.3: PL 35, 1978, 1980)
(Tract 1,1.3: PL 35, 1978, 1980)
What has existed since the beginning; what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes and what our own hands have touched regarding the Word of Life: Who could touch with their hands the Word, if it were not for the fact that the Word became flesh and set up its dwelling place amongst us?
This Word, which made itself flesh so that it could be touched, began to be flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary; but that moment was not when it began to be the Word, since, as Saint John tells us, the Word existed since before the beginning. Observe how his letter is concordance with the words of his own gospel, which you have just heard: Already at the very beginning of all things the Word already existed, and the Word was with God.
Perhaps someone might think that the expression "the Word of Life" has to be understood as a manner of referring to Christ, but not to the body of Christ which could be touched by our own hands. Pay close attention to the words that follow: Because life has been manifested. Therefore, Christ is the Word of Life.
And from where has this life been manifested? It existed since the beginning, yet it had not been manifested to men. Instead, it had been manifested to angels, which could see it and feed from it as if it were their own bread. However, what does the Scriptures say? Man ate the bread of angels.
In this manner, then, Life itself has been revealed, in person, in the Incarnation, and it has manifested so that, by making itself visible, it no longer could be contemplated with the eyes of the heart, but could also heal men's hearts. This is because the Word can only be contemplated with the eyes of the heart. In contrast, the flesh can be also contemplated with corporal eyes. We were capable to see flesh, but not the Word; for this reason the Word became flesh, so that it could be seen by us, to heal in us what the Word is capable of making us see.
And we - Saint John continues - testify and announce this eternal Life, which was with the Father and which has been manifested to us; that is, this Life, as the Word, has maniested Itself among us, or to say it with greater clarity: the Word has manifested itself inside our inner being.
What we have seen and heard, we announce. Attention, beloved brothers and sisters: what we have seen and heard, we announce. They saw the very same Lord present in the flesh and they heard the words that emanated from his mouth, and they have announced Him. We, therefore, have heard, but we have not yet seen.
Are we as a result less blissful than those who saw and heard? If that's not the case, then why then does Saint John add: with the end that you live in communion with us? They saw; we did not. Yet, nevertheless, we live in communion with them ... because we have in common, our faith.
And this communion of life is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We write these things - Saint John continues - so that our bliss be overflowing. An overflowing bliss, he writes, in one same communion of Life, in one same charity, in one same unity.
PRAYER
Our God, who made us discover the mysteries of your Word through the means of the Apostle Saint John, grant us to reach a worthy comprehension of all that he has brought to us through our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the Unity of the Holy Spirit and is God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Both excerpts, translated from the Spanish Liturgies of the Hours by Jan Paul von Wendt -
liturgiasdelashoras.com.ar
In the Incarnation Life Itself Has Been Revealed in Person
From the Tractates on the First Letter of Saint John by Saint Augustine, Bishop
(Tract 1,1.3: PL 35, 1978, 1980)
(Tract 1,1.3: PL 35, 1978, 1980)
What has existed since the beginning; what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes and what our own hands have touched regarding the Word of Life: Who could touch with their hands the Word, if it were not for the fact that the Word became flesh and set up its dwelling place amongst us?
This Word, which made itself flesh so that it could be touched, began to be flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary; but that moment was not when it began to be the Word, since, as Saint John tells us, the Word existed since before the beginning. Observe how his letter is concordance with the words of his own gospel, which you have just heard: Already at the very beginning of all things the Word already existed, and the Word was with God.
Perhaps someone might think that the expression "the Word of Life" has to be understood as a manner of referring to Christ, but not to the body of Christ which could be touched by our own hands. Pay close attention to the words that follow: Because life has been manifested. Therefore, Christ is the Word of Life.
And from where has this life been manifested? It existed since the beginning, yet it had not been manifested to men. Instead, it had been manifested to angels, which could see it and feed from it as if it were their own bread. However, what does the Scriptures say? Man ate the bread of angels.
In this manner, then, Life itself has been revealed, in person, in the Incarnation, and it has manifested so that, by making itself visible, it no longer could be contemplated with the eyes of the heart, but could also heal men's hearts. This is because the Word can only be contemplated with the eyes of the heart. In contrast, the flesh can be also contemplated with corporal eyes. We were capable to see flesh, but not the Word; for this reason the Word became flesh, so that it could be seen by us, to heal in us what the Word is capable of making us see.
And we - Saint John continues - testify and announce this eternal Life, which was with the Father and which has been manifested to us; that is, this Life, as the Word, has maniested Itself among us, or to say it with greater clarity: the Word has manifested itself inside our inner being.
What we have seen and heard, we announce. Attention, beloved brothers and sisters: what we have seen and heard, we announce. They saw the very same Lord present in the flesh and they heard the words that emanated from his mouth, and they have announced Him. We, therefore, have heard, but we have not yet seen.
Are we as a result less blissful than those who saw and heard? If that's not the case, then why then does Saint John add: with the end that you live in communion with us? They saw; we did not. Yet, nevertheless, we live in communion with them ... because we have in common, our faith.
And this communion of life is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We write these things - Saint John continues - so that our bliss be overflowing. An overflowing bliss, he writes, in one same communion of Life, in one same charity, in one same unity.
PRAYER
Our God, who made us discover the mysteries of your Word through the means of the Apostle Saint John, grant us to reach a worthy comprehension of all that he has brought to us through our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the Unity of the Holy Spirit and is God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Both excerpts, translated from the Spanish Liturgies of the Hours by Jan Paul von Wendt -
liturgiasdelashoras.com.ar
December 27 - Feast of Saint John the Divine (6-100 AD) - The First Letter of the Apostle Saint John 1, 1-2, 3 - In the Incarnation Life itself has been revealed in person - from a Sermon by Saint Augustine (354-430)
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