December 27, 2005

Why do you think St. John wrote a Gospel and his letters?

Rather than straining your imagination, you can look directly at the reasons he gives. In his Gospel (20:31) he tells us he wrote it "so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." What I found even more interesting was the reason he gives for his first epistle: "And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete." (1 Jn 1:4)

I found this second reason more interesting because he says that he himself gains something by sharing the Good News about the Lord Jesus. The joy that comes with faith in Christ is increased by being able to share this revelation with others.

A couple of days ago, on Christmas day, we were sitting around the friary table singing Christmas carols in a few different languages, just "chillin"' after having served a Christmas dinner for a good number of our neighbors here in Harlem. Then Br. Bonaventure made the happy suggestion of going out caroling around the neighborhood. So we set off, a motley crew of 10 or so friars, hymn books in hand.

Our first stop was the apartment of an elderly shut-in woman, Mrs. Turby, who used to travel around the States on singing tours, and shared memories of singing in her Baptist church choir. She mostly lost her voice a couple of years ago, but as we did a rough version of "O Holy Night" she was able to join in a verse or two with a wonderful gleam in her eye. We continued along, singing to some of the young men out on their steps, the fellows who are blatantly involved in the drug trafficking on our street, and who acknowledged us with a smile. As we went down along Broadway (100 blocks north of the theater district, but the brothers were still happy to be singing “on Broadway”) we went past a little restaurant and a young waiter came rushing to the window and gave us a great heart-warming smile and a thumbs up.

We met a variety of people along our little caroling tour, but one thing that was true for all of them is that they found the joy of Christmas contagious and they made our joy more complete by their responses. All of us, in our own locations and situations, are called to share the faith and fullness of life Christ has given to us. It is amazing how many times I have approached people to talk about Jesus and they responded, "No, thank you; I'm a Catholic!" Catholics are also meant to be evangelical.

St. John, the Beloved, pray for us for that perfect love that casts out fear in sharing the Gospel, so that our joy in the Lord may be complete!

Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR
Community Vicar, residing at St. Joseph Friary in Harlem
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