“Entering into a higher level of intimacy and closeness with the Lord, and making our lives with the Lord truly an ‘Executive one!'”

(Based on Sir 24:1-4, 12-16, Eph 1:3-6, 15-18 and Jn 1:1-18 – 2nd Sunday after Christmas)

Those who frequently travel by flight are familiar with certain privileges that come along…
… when travelling by the same airlines.

A person – a Christian – who often travelled by the same airlines, shared this experience:
“I have been travelling with these airlines for the last 27 years.

They have been my airline of choice…
… and I have been awarded a level of familiarity.

That level of familiarity is called as Platinum.

It’s an award for my consistency with them and I am called as their ‘preferred customer.’

The Platinum card allows me to have a lot of privileges.

When I go to a counter, and if people are ahead of me, I am given the privilege to go up higher.
If there are people with gold membership, I pull out my platinum membership – and this
status makes me go higher!

All this was fine…
… till one day, as I was asking for a seat with an extra leg-space, they told me, “Sorry Sir, there is another person who has a higher preference over you.

That person has an Executive Platinum Membership!”

The person went on to share his experience: “This I understood, is a beautiful way of
understanding our level of faith-relationship with the Lord as Christians.

Some are satisfied to have a silver or a gold membership – just do the basic minimum.

Some, like me, go on to have a higher familiarity and consistency – like a platinum
membership.

But there are a few – who enter into a high level of intimacy and closeness with the Lord – like the Executive Platinum Membership!”

What membership are we having with the Lord… silver, gold, platinum…?
… or can we seek to have Executive Platinum and higher!”

The Gospel of the Day – the Prologue of the Gospel of St John – is a beautiful invitation to
deepen our intimacy with the Lord…
… as we are reminded in the prologue: “But to all who received him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God!” (Jn 1:12)

The Prologue of the Gospel of St John is a mystical reflection…
… on the Divinity and Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh.

The Gospel begins with the statement: “IN THE BEGINNING was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!” (Jn 1:1)

This statement takes the reader back to the very first verse of the Bible: “IN THE BEGINNING God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1)

This verse in the Book of Genesis is the starting of the account of the creation of the universe.

When the Fourth Gospel begins the Good News with the same phrase, “In the Beginning’’
… we are given a clear message and alert: “Here is the story of the New Creation!”

And St John presents the central character of this New Creation – “the Word Who became flesh!” (Cf. Jn 1:14)

The Prologue presents the truth that in Jesus, we are a New Creation

As St Paul beautifully writes: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17)

How is our life?

Are we living “this life of being a New Creation?”

Is my first priority of life set on the Lord and His Kingdom?
Do I seek to grow in my relationship with the Lord, every day?

Maybe some of us, in our Christian following, like to do only the minimum – do the basic
requirements of the religion

Some go on to have a higher familiarity and consistency

Just as a silver or gold or platinum membership…
… we don’t venture to go deeper in our relationship with the Lord.

In this Season of Christmas, the Lord invites – through the Prologue of the Gospel of St
John…
… to enter into a high level of intimacy and closeness with the Lord
… and thus make our membership truly an “Executive one!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!