A reading from the first letter of John
1:1-4
Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life —
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.
From the Gospel according to John
20:1a and 2-8
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
In the Gospel passage we have heard (cf. Jn 20:1-8), John recounts to us that unimaginable morning that forever changed human history. Let us imagine that morning: in the first light of dawn on the day after the Sabbath, near Jesus’ tomb, everyone sets off running. Mary Magdalene runs to inform the disciples; Peter and John run toward the sepulchre…. Everyone runs, everyone feels the urgent need to move: there is no time to lose; they must make haste…. (…)
Jesus’ disciples run because they have received the news that Jesus’ body has disappeared from the tomb. The hearts of Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and John are full of love and beat fervently after the separation that seemed definitive. Perhaps the hope of seeing the Lord’s face again is rekindled in them! As on that first day when he had promised: “Come and see” (Jn 1:39). The one who runs the fastest is John, certainly because he is the youngest, but also because he has not ceased hoping after he had seen, with his own eyes, Jesus die on the Cross; and also because he had been close to Mary, and thus he was ‘infected’ by her faith. When we feel that faith is waning or is lukewarm, let us go to her, Mary, and she will teach us; she will understand us; she will help us feel faith. (Pope Francis, Prayer Vigil with young Italians, 11 August 2018)
Gospel and Word of the Day – 27 December 2025 –
A reading from the first letter of John
1:1-4
Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life —
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.
From the Gospel according to John
20:1a and 2-8
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
In the Gospel passage we have heard (cf. Jn 20:1-8), John recounts to us that unimaginable morning that forever changed human history. Let us imagine that morning: in the first light of dawn on the day after the Sabbath, near Jesus’ tomb, everyone sets off running. Mary Magdalene runs to inform the disciples; Peter and John run toward the sepulchre…. Everyone runs, everyone feels the urgent need to move: there is no time to lose; they must make haste…. (…)
Jesus’ disciples run because they have received the news that Jesus’ body has disappeared from the tomb. The hearts of Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and John are full of love and beat fervently after the separation that seemed definitive. Perhaps the hope of seeing the Lord’s face again is rekindled in them! As on that first day when he had promised: “Come and see” (Jn 1:39). The one who runs the fastest is John, certainly because he is the youngest, but also because he has not ceased hoping after he had seen, with his own eyes, Jesus die on the Cross; and also because he had been close to Mary, and thus he was ‘infected’ by her faith. When we feel that faith is waning or is lukewarm, let us go to her, Mary, and she will teach us; she will understand us; she will help us feel faith. (Pope Francis, Prayer Vigil with young Italians, 11 August 2018)
A reading from the first letter of John
1:1-4
Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life —
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.
From the Gospel according to John
20:1a and 2-8
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
In the Gospel passage we have heard (cf. Jn 20:1-8), John recounts to us that unimaginable morning that forever changed human history. Let us imagine that morning: in the first light of dawn on the day after the Sabbath, near Jesus’ tomb, everyone sets off running. Mary Magdalene runs to inform the disciples; Peter and John run toward the sepulchre…. Everyone runs, everyone feels the urgent need to move: there is no time to lose; they must make haste…. (…)
Jesus’ disciples run because they have received the news that Jesus’ body has disappeared from the tomb. The hearts of Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and John are full of love and beat fervently after the separation that seemed definitive. Perhaps the hope of seeing the Lord’s face again is rekindled in them! As on that first day when he had promised: “Come and see” (Jn 1:39). The one who runs the fastest is John, certainly because he is the youngest, but also because he has not ceased hoping after he had seen, with his own eyes, Jesus die on the Cross; and also because he had been close to Mary, and thus he was ‘infected’ by her faith. When we feel that faith is waning or is lukewarm, let us go to her, Mary, and she will teach us; she will understand us; she will help us feel faith. (Pope Francis, Prayer Vigil with young Italians, 11 August 2018)