Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life ( and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us ); that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.
The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice! Let the multitude of islands be glad! Clouds and darkness are around him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness. All the peoples have seen his glory.
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in the Lord, you righteous people! Give thanks to his holy Name.
Saint John holds a special place among the apostles as the "beloved disciple" who leaned against Jesus at the Last Supper and stood faithfully at the foot of the cross. He lived longer than the other apostles and gave us both the Gospel of John and these beautiful letters we hear from today.
What strikes me most about John's opening words is how physical and immediate they are. He doesn't start with abstract theology but with concrete experience: "what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what our hands touched." John is saying, essentially, "This isn't theory – this is what actually happened to us."
There's something deeply human about this approach that speaks to how we encounter God today. We often think faith requires us to believe invisible, untouchable things, but John reminds us that God chose to become tangible, to enter our world of sight and sound and touch. The Word became flesh not as a concept, but as a person we could bump into on the street.
What I find beautiful here is John's purpose: "that you also may have fellowship with us." He's not writing to impress anyone with his spiritual experiences, but to draw others into the same relationship he's discovered. This fellowship isn't just among believers – it's "with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ."
This invitation extends to us in our ordinary moments. When we're washing dishes, stuck in traffic, or having coffee with a friend, we're invited into this same fellowship. God isn't distant or abstract but present and accessible, wanting to share life with us just as tangibly as he did with John and the other apostles.
How might you notice God's tangible presence in your everyday experiences today? What would it look like to invite others into the fellowship you've discovered with Christ? Where do you sense God wanting to touch your life in concrete, practical ways?