December 29, 2009
5th Day in the Octave of Christmas (St. Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr)

Read

Read “To Be a Christian Steward” starting on page 42 of Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, the bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship. As the year draws to a close, think about how you are called to be a better steward of the gifts of God’s creation in 2010.

Daily Readings

Pray

Reflect

Pope Benedict XVI , Saints. P. 84 (First century; December 27)
Friend of Jesus

According to tradition, John is the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” who in the Fourth Gospel laid his head against the Teacher’s breast at the Last Supper (cf. Jn 13:23), stood at the foot of the Cross together with the Mother of Jesus (cf. Jn 19:25) and lastly, witnessed both the empty tomb and the presence of the Risen One himself (cf. Jn 20:2; 21:7). We know that this identification is disputed by scholars today, some of whom view him merely as the prototype of a disciple of Jesus. Leaving the exegetes to settle the matter, let us be content here with learning an important lesson for our lives: the Lord wishes to make each one of us a disciple who lives in personal friendship with him. To achieve this, it is not enough to follow him and to listen to him outwardly: it is also necessary to live with him and like him. This is only possible in the context of a relationship of deep familiarity, imbued with the warmth of total trust. This is what happens between friends; for this reason Jesus said one day: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. . . . No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (Jn 15:13, 15).

General Audience
July 5, 2006

Act