And the Word Became Flesh – John 1 1-18 – Meaning and Commentary

1. Introductory prayer

I calm down and I feel the presence of God in me. I ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit to open the word of God, I accept it and allow it to fulfill my mission in me, in order to become more and more what I am in Holy Trinity. Then I ask God for this prayer, in my own words, or with those that are here…

We come from the Word and the Word came to us – because God loves us so much. When we are in the dark, it is difficult for us to accept the light. The light, however, is persistent, as life sprouts, bears grace after grace. Lord, I ask you for grace to listen to you, to refresh the awareness of sonship, of daughterhood, and to live in this Spirit as your witness.

2. Reading – Listening:  – And The Word Became Flesh – John 1:1-18 – Meaning and Commentary

And The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

3. Thoughts on the Gospel – And The Word Became Flesh – John 1:1-18 – Meaning and Commentary

The beginning of the Gospel of John is connected with the beginning of the book of Genesis (Jn 1: 1-3 and 1 Mt 1: 1-3). The word of God was present among the Jews, daily in their lives. In the Old Testament Bible, this is an active, creative, and dynamic word. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.” (Ps 33: 6) “He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly ”(Ps 147:15). Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? (Jer 23:29).

The writer of the Book of Wisdom calls God the one who “made all things by his word” (Wis. 9: 1). The word of God is equated with his wisdom. “The Lord has established the earth with wisdom.” (Proverbs 3:19) The book of wisdom describes “wisdom” as God’s, eternal and creative power. Thus “word” and “wisdom” are one and the same. “When all was wrapped in silent silence, and the night came halfway, your almighty word came down from heaven, from the royal throne, as a warrior flies in the midst of the destruction of the betrayed land” (Wis 18: 14-16).

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John describes Jesus as the word of God, the creative, life, and light that came to earth as a man. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). Jesus is the wisdom and power of God that created the world and sustains it, took on the human image to save us. He became a true man, but at the same time he remained a true God. Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God who, without ceasing to be God and Lord, became man and our brother.

Christians must never forget the miracle that the Son of God took on human nature to attain our salvation in this. The Son of God worked with human hands, he thought with the human mind, he worked with the human will and with the human heart that loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he was truly equal to us in all but sin (Heb 4:15).

The glory of God can only be seen through Jesus Christ. He became a companion of humanity. In him and after him we partake of his Divine nature (2 Pt 1: 4). From the beginning of the world, the purpose of our lives has been to be fully united with Him. When we are reborn by the Holy Spirit after baptism and live a new life in Jesus Christ, God the Father also becomes our Father and we become his sons and daughters. We are called to live this sonship/daughterhood of God in all dimensions of our lives.

4. Meditation – thinking

About everything I have read and what has touched me, I am thinking now. I let my thoughts also touch my heart. Think:

  • I praise the Lord in prayer, song, or otherwise that I am a son of God, a daughter, that I am a part of this wonderful dignity.
  • What part of my life longs for the Light?
  • The word comes to life when we hear it. What does the Word tell me these days?

5. Personal Prayer

In the next moments of silence, I talk about this with Jesus. I tell him what I think, what I feel, what I want. I ask him for the grace that I need for … (make your conversation with God).

6. Contemplation – Quiet moment with God

Now I let silence be in me. I am simply present in God, as He is quietly present in me. Perhaps from this silence, I hear God’s speech, which invites me perhaps in thanksgiving and worship or to open myself and accept him in my path life and work, maybe He gives me the courage to continue searching for…

7. Action

When I walk into a personal relationship with God, he changes me, makes me more loving, and encourages me to the concrete action, which is….. (write down your insights for concrete action).

8. Prayer at the end

Let us thank God the Father for this wonderful dignity we receive and ask the Holy Spirit to be able to live and work in this Spirit always and everywhere and to be witnesses of our Father and our Brother.

9. Review of my prayer meditation or reflection

This is my view on what was happening in me at the time, I spent praying. In my reflection, I can help myself with the following questions:

  • How was I feeling when I started praying?
  • What happened during the prayer?
  • What feelings and thoughts could I detect in myself?
  • How did I feel about the revelations, which I had during my prayer?
  • What did I learn about myself, about God, about his attitude towards me and others, and me to him and others?
  • How did I finish my prayer?
  • What did I receive for my everyday life?
  • In the end, I can write the lessons, findings, and insights. I can write also, where I had problems, they may have great value in learning about my relationship and myself with God. They can also help to find a more appropriate way of prayer for me.
  • Then I thank the Holy Trinity. If I pray with my family or in the community, friends, I can share with them what I felt in this prayer. With a prayer for one another, you can support yourself throughout the week.

Lectio Divina meditations are published and adapted with permission from the Jesuits home – ignacijevdom.si

Text from the Bible – New International Version (KJV)

Let us remain close in the same prayer! May the Lord bless you abundantly!