December 27, 2025, Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
Lectionary #697, John 20 :1a and 2-8
Scripture
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.
Reflection
This was not a simple case of “seeing is believing.” Instead, St. John saw only an empty tomb that day. The absence of the Lord’s body could have meant that “they have taken the Lord and we don’t know where they have laid him.” Presented with the facts, however, John made a choice. He chose the option that Jesus had arisen, as he said. This brings the gift of faith into perspective.
What we do with faith and the knowledge it brings to us is a matter of choosing one option over another. The virtue of faith makes it possible for us to trust in the Lord’s word and to select the options that correspond to the truth of that word. Some schools of thought that influence us tend to equate observation with proof. Sadly, however, the meaning of the proof is often predetermined. Thus, some would always tend to deny the things we cannot see. Faith enables us to see the things that Christians must not deny.
The mocking of religion, which Our Lady spoke about, does not necessarily mean a blatant lack of faith, though it often is. Failure to honor and worship God as we should is characterized by callousness toward the saints and the things which are especially consecrated to God. It can also be marked by insensitivity toward another’s piety and devotion. The presence of Our Lady inclined the children toward deeper faith.
La Salette Invocation
Our Lady of La Salette, reconciler of sinners,
pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to you.
