John 1:1-18

1. John opens his Gospel with a profound reflection on the meaning of creation, of life and of Jesus. Remember when you had a special awareness of the gift of life that filled you with gratitude to God for creation, and the beauty and wonder of the world: ‘All things came into being through him and without him not one thing came into being.'

2. We often listen to a reading from the gospels. Sometimes it goes in one ear and out the other. Then there are occasions when it made us feel more alive, times when it helped us see the way ahead, like a light that shines in the darkness. Recall when the gospel gave you hope in the midst of anxiety or sadness and helped you to see what action would be most life giving for you and for others

3. Bring to mind people who have had a prophetic voice in the world - speaking the truth for the world to hear, like as a witness to testify to the light. Some of these may have been public figures. Others were ordinary people who have helped you see the ‘light' by the witness of their own lives and words.

4. ‘No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son of God, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him know.' Jesus came to us to teach us about God and put a human face on God for us. For the people of his day, and for us, that was a mission of getting us to think again about how we see God, and to believe in a God who is a God of love. Who, or what, has helped you along this journey?