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Reflection 15 (2 John)

Below is an overview of the Letters of John and an associated prayer

Reflections Ministry

The Letters of John were probably written towards the end of the First Century. Because of their similarity to the Gospel of John, these letters are attributed by many to have been written by St. John the Apostle. In any case they are most assuredly from the same Johannine school of thought. The purpose of the letters is to refute false teaching, as well as, deepen the spiritual and communal awareness of their readers. As we reflect on these letters of John let us examine our own lives, and strive to deepen our own spiritual awareness, coming always closer to our God.

Lord, send your Holy Spirit to open and enlighten our minds.  Let our reflection of these letters bring us closer to you, and open our hearts and lives to the power of your word in Holy Scripture.  Keep us always aware of your great love for us.  Help us and guide us, as we open our lives more fully to your power and grace

Reflection 15 (Letters of 2 John) - Posted 9/29/2008

In this letter St. John makes clear that there will be many who will come with a different teaching than that of the apostles.  He admonishes all to remain faithful to the apostolic teaching.  While societies might change, the Word of God never changes.  Jesus is the same in all ages.  In our own world the secular society in which we live can make it difficult to stay true to the teachings of Jesus.  Society has the tendency to try and make religious belief irrelevant to the problems which face it.  Religious belief is seen as the problem rather than the solution as personal liberty and freedom reign supreme.  The powerful words of Jesus are shaded gray in the name of inclusiveness.  It is in these times that we must remember these words of St. John, words that recall that all love, peace, and freedom come to us only from our God.  It is in Jesus that we find true self worth.  Let us pray for the courage to remain strong in our faith.  Let us pray that we will always seek our peace and freedom only in the Lord, from whom all good things come.

Reflection 14 (Letters of John) - Posted 9/21/2008

St. John was an eyewitness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  In this letter he has spoken to us about all that he has seen and has come to know in the Lord.  As we read this letter from St. John, we can’t help but see the power and the goodness, the love and the grace of Jesus flowing through him.  He wants us to be aware that the love, grace, and power we see in him are available to all.  He teaches that every person who believes in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, has eternal life.  Every person who is open to Jesus has the grace of God within.  He goes on to teach that when we live in the grace of God everything that we ask for in that grace and the will of God will be provided.  And, finally, the sign of our belief in Jesus is the love that we show our brothers and sisters, the same love that our Savior has shown us.  It is this love of Jesus within us that allows us to love others and to follow the commandments of God.  Let us pray that our faith be strengthened.  Let us pray that the love, grace, and power of Jesus flow in us as we follow the will of God in our lives and strive to love, more fully, all of our brothers and sisters.

Reflection 13 (Letters of John) - Posted 9/10/2008

The world in which we live can make it difficult to keep our focus on following the Lord.  There are a lot of distractions.  The ways of the world, in so many ways, contradict the laws of God which we, as Christians, strive to follow.  It can seem difficult and burdensome.  And yet, St. John teaches that the commandments of the Lord are not burdensome.  He teaches that they are only burdensome if we allow ourselves to be misled by the ways of the world.  Our souls long to be with God, and it is when we follow the commandments that we find the peace which can elude us if we struggle with trying to serve two masters.  It is only in conquering the world that we can find true happiness, and St. John reminds us that the only way to conquer the world is to follow the commandments of God.  God manifests His love for us by guiding us on the path that is the best for us.  We show our love for God by striving to remain on that path, forsaking the temptations of the world, secure in the knowledge that we will one day be with our Lord in heaven.  Let us pray for the grace to follow the commandments of God.  Let us pray for the strength to withstand worldly temptations as we strive to conquer the world, living always in the love and care of Jesus Christ.

Reflection 12 (Letters of John) - Posted 8/29/2008

St. John is very explicit when he writes about the love to which we are called in Christ.  He reminds us that we are able to love only because we are first loved by God.  Every person, created in the image of God, is loved by him, and because every person is loved by God, to be of God each of us are called to love every person.  In fact, St. John teaches that we cannot say that we love God if we do not love all of our brothers and sisters.  The importance of this teaching is made clear as St. John writes that God himself is love.  When we think of what this teaching means to us, we might at first balk.  There may be many people in our lives that are difficult to love as God loves them.  St. John, allays our fears, however, as he reminds us that we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us as we struggle to love all in our lives.  Surely, it is only by the love and grace of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can fulfill the command to love as God loves.  So, let us pray that we might more fully experience the love of God in our lives.  Let us pray for the grace to love all in our lives.  Let us pray that we be always open to the power of the Holy Spirit, so that as we experience the very life and love of God through him, we might extend that love to all of our brothers and sisters.

Reflection 11 (Letters of John) - Posted 8/14/2008

God created us in his image out of love.  He also created us for love.  St. John reminds us that it is God’s love for us that allows us to love.  God’s love allows us to return love to him.  It also allows us to love our brothers and sisters, all of whom are the children of God, created in the same divine love as we.  St. John teaches further that the love which we show to our brothers and sisters is a sign that God is within us.  In fact He paints a stark picture saying that whoever is without love does not know God.  It is in sending his only begotten Son, Jesus to renew and restore God’s covenant with his people that shows the very depth of his love for us.  Jesus has revealed the love of God in his very person to us in his life on this earth.  By his obedience to the will of the Father we have been redeemed.  The victory has been won.  It is in that redeeming love of Jesus that the gift of God’s love in us is renewed, so that in Jesus we are called to love others as God himself loves them.  Let us pray for the grace to experience more fully all the love that God continues to shower upon us.  Let us pray that we, in return, are a thankful people loving our most gracious God, and loving all of our brothers and sisters as God loves them.

Reflection 10 (Letters of John) - Posted 7/25/2008

St. John makes clear to us what we must do to remain in Jesus.  There is no equivocation.  There is no gray area.  He simply states that we must believe in Jesus Christ, and we must love our brothers and sisters.  All of this is contained in the commandments that Jesus has given us.  It is an easy marker for us.  Either we follow his commandments or we don’t.  Either we love our neighbor or we don’t.  There is no middle ground, no rationalization.  Unfortunately, we do on occasion fall short.  We are all sinners, and so we, so often, do the things that are contrary to the commandments of the Lord.  St. John tells us that when we do fall short the forgiveness and mercy of God will make us whole, as we repent.  The Holy Spirit will convict our hearts and guide us in the right path.  Let us strive always to be open to the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Let us learn from him as he guides us in the way of the perfection to which we are called in Christ.  Let us remain always in Jesus as we live out our belief in him, and strive to follow the commandments which he has given us.

Reflection 9 (Letters of John) - Posted 7/15/2008

Jesus commands us to love our neighbor, and in this passage St. John reminds us of the importance of that command.  As children of God we are called to love all of our brothers and sisters with the love that God has showered upon us.  We are to imitate Christ, who laid down his life for us.  St. John tells us that God is love, so everything that comes from God speaks the language of love.  It is the language we must speak.  However, St. John reminds us that we must do more than speak it with our mouths.  We must live it in our lives.  It must pour forth from our hearts.  It must permeate all that we do, and shine forth in our relationships with all people.  It is easy to say that we love our neighbor, but St. John calls on us to examine our lives and to see if the words we speak are carried out in our actions.  Let us draw on the love that God has poured into our hearts.  Let us draw on the experience of God’s love for us.  Let that love flow from us to all of those with whom we have contact in our lives.  God is love.  Let us make that known in all that we say and all that we do.

Reflection 8 (Letters of John) - Posted 6/28/2008

In these three short verses St. John reminds us who we are, and just what Jesus has done for us.  He makes clear the abundance of God’s love for us, a love that saw his own Son’s death, so that we may become his children in Christ.  St. John calls us to understand the grace and blessing that we have received in being the children of God, even if the world seems not to notice or care.  Since the world did not know Christ, it will not know us, but the fact remains that we are God’s children, and our realization of that builds our faith and strengthens our hope that we will see him face to face, that we will behold him as child to Father.  St. John further states that as we realize and fully live our status as children of God, believing that we will someday enjoy eternal life, our hearts become purified.  They become more like the heart of Christ.  We will be living in the will of the Father for our lives.  In the experience of God’s love in our lives, we will be able to return that love to him and love our brothers and sisters more fully.  Let us rejoice in our adoption as sons and daughters of God in Christ.  Let us live in the knowledge of the grace and blessing that we have received.

Reflection 7 (Letters of John) - Posted 6/12/2008

St. John reminds us that we must hold on tightly to our faith.  We must rely on that which we have had from the beginning.  That can, sometimes, be difficult for us.  There are many who profess to be teachers, who would change that which we know to be the truth.  Many times these things can seem good.  They may make it easier for us to live in the secular community of today.  They may seem to be inclusive and even good.  As Christians, however, we must remember that the way of the Lord, and the way of society are, many times, not the same.  In fact the way of society might be in direct opposition to the way of the Lord.  That is why it is so important that what we have learned from the beginning, what we know to be true, must always remain with us.  We must always stay focused on Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Christ is the only way, no matter how out of step that may seem to society.  It is he who knows what is best for us.  It is his plan which we are called to follow.  Let us pray for the grace and courage to hold fast to what we have heard from the beginning.  Let us pray for the wisdom and knowledge to understand that Christ is the Truth, and there is no one or nothing else for us.

Reflection 6 (Letters of John) - Posted 5/30/2008

Throughout Christian history there have been those who have taught in contradiction to Jesus and the apostles.  It was a plague on the faith of Christians in the day of St. John, and continues to be a plague on the faith of Christians today.  St. John rightly warns us that we must always be aware of those who would try to corrupt our faith in the Lord.  In our own time it seems that there are more and more teachers who advocate beliefs other than those taught by Jesus and the apostles.  There are some that can be dismissed out of hand, but there are others that are more insidious.  These supposed truths can seem to make sense and may seem harmless, but St. John warns us not to deny the Son.  He exhorts us to remain faithful to all that we have been taught, and reminds us that we have the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us.  He is the Spirit of Truth, and will shower upon us the wisdom and knowledge to follow always the way of the Lord.  Let us examine our lives so that we can be certain that our faith in the Lord is solid.  Let us pray that we remain on the path that Jesus has laid out for us.

Reflection 5 (Letters of John) - Posted 5/17/2008

In this passage St. John reminds us that we must be of one mind when it comes to our relationship with God.  All of our focus must be on the Lord.  He must be the center of our lives.  St. John recognizes that there will always be distractions and temptations, but we must overcome them if we are to be in right relationship with God.  In fact, St. John uses very strong language in reminding us that we must really make a choice.  He states that if we make the choice to love, too much, the things of this world, the Father is not in us.  This makes sense because if we are too invested in the things of this world, there is no room for God.  We must live in the world, making good use of all that God gives us, but we must not be of the world.  We have been created for something more.  We have been created for a different place, and it is in that place, heaven, where we will find our true peace and happiness.  While we are on this earth our peace and happiness come only from God being in us.  Let us pray that the Lord be always the center of our lives.  Let us pray for the grace to overcome the temptations of the world, that there is always  room in our hearts for our God.

Reflection 4 (Letters of John) - Posted 5/1/2008

St. John begins this passage saying that the commandment of love which he preaches is not new.  Indeed, the commandment to love God and neighbor has been the most important part of the law since the time of the exodus.  Yet upon further reflection St. John makes clear to us that even though this is an old commandment, it has taken on  newness in the person of Christ.  It is in the person of Christ that love banishes darkness in our lives.  It is in Christ that we are able to come into a more loving relationship with God our Father. For it is Christ who is the true light.  In him there is no darkness.  He is the embodiment of love.  St. John teaches that we must unite ourselves with Christ.  He teaches that it is in unity with Christ that we are brought together in the light of his love.  To the extent we are united with him and with each other we are better able to perceive the true light, which is already shining.  Let us strive to be united in Christ, that we might experience more fully the power of his love in our lives and in our world.  Let us strive to perceive, more clearly, the true light, Christ himself, who banishes all darkness, and brings us into right relationship with God our Father.

Reflection 3 (Letters of John) - Posted 4/24/2008

It is clear from what St. John tells us that to find true happiness and peace in our lives we must be united with Christ.  We must strive to live fully in his love, and in that way come to the Christian perfection to which we are all called.  We are further told that the only way in which we know that we are on the right track is to follow the commandments of the Lord.  Despite the fact that we are imperfect, and, therefore, fail much of the time in pursuit of this goal of keeping the commandments, it is important that we strive to come closer to following this admonition.  It is in our failure, however, that the wonderful love and mercy of God is most evident.  St. John explains that when we do fall short that Jesus is there at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us.  By the forgiveness and the grace of God, with Jesus as our Advocate, we discover a certain hope that we will prevail over sin in our lives, and achieve the happiness and peace that come from being united with Christ, living the way that he lived, always in communion with the will of the Father.

Reflection 2 (Letters of John) - Posted 4/16/2008

Our modern society tells us that there is really no right or wrong.  It tells us that everything is relative.  There is no hell.  Whatever one wants to do can be justified in terms of “it is what I want, it is good for me.”  As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, it is ok. There is less and less personal responsibility for one’s actions.  If a bad act is committed it must be the fault of someone else.  This “blame everyone else” mentality is evident in all areas of our society:  Lawsuits are filed over any matter, the government is blamed for not taking care of every need, “bailout” is a very popular term.  It is easy for us to get caught up in this type of “no responsibility, blame everyone else game.”  St. John reminds us, however, that if we do get caught up in that game, we are just deceiving ourselves.  We must keep in mind that there is sin in the world and that we are all sinners.  The world we live in is imperfect, and so is every one of us.  St. John goes on further, teaching us that it is when we admit our faults and our sinfulness that we begin to grow as human beings.  It is when we admit our faults that we can bring them to the Lord, who is perfect, and in his mercy he will forgive us.  Let us pray that we do not get caught up in the games our modern society plays.  Let us pray that we remain humble before the Lord, relying on his goodness and mercy to forgive us, as we strive always to come closer to him.

Reflection 1 (Letters of John) - Posted 4/7/2008

As we begin the Letter of John we can feel the power of his eyewitness to the life and death of the Lord.  We can feel the passion of his words as he invites us to share the love of the Father and the Son; as he invites us to share the fellowship of the apostles and followers of Christ.  We can feel the excitement of someone who has come to believe in all that the Savior has promised, and can do nothing but share his joy with all who will listen.  This is the power of Jesus.  This is the power of the certain hope we share in the promise of the Lord.  This is the power of knowledge of God’s love, forgiveness, and mercy.  All of this we have in the Lord.  As we come to realize all that we have in the Lord that same energy, that same passion, that same desire to share with others what we have found will be ours.  Let us reflect on the goodness of the Lord, the goodness in which we are called to share with all of God’s saints.  Let us reflect on all that we have in the Lord.  Let us never hesitate to share with others what our most good and gracious God has done for us.