"In the Beginning:" a Continuing Story

The story starts here:


(From NASA/JPL/STScI Hubble Deep Field Team, used w/o permission.)

"¹ In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,"
(Genesis 1:1)

About two thousand years ago, my Lord came to live with us.

"^{1 2} In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

"He was in the beginning with God.

"³ All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be

"through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;

"⁴ the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
(John 1:1-5)

"And the Word became flesh ⁹ and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth."
(John 1:14)

We celebrate his arrival each year around this time.


(From John William Waterhouse, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

"¹⁰ In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

"to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.

"And coming to her, he said, 'Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.'

"But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

"Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

"He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, ¹¹ and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

"and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.' "
(Luke 1:26-33)

(From Georges de La Tour, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

"And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

"to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

"While they were there, the time came for her to have her child,

"and she gave birth to her firstborn son. ³ She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

"⁴ Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock."
(Luke 2:1-8)

After Jesus was executed, and then stopped being dead, my Lord gave us standing orders:

"¹¹ Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

"Go, therefore, ¹² and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,

"teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. ¹³ And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.' "
(Matthew 28:18-20)

And that's another part of the story.


(From ISS007, used w/o permission.)

Related posts:

• " 'Follow Me:' A Simple Decision, Not an Easy One"
  (June 2, 2013)
• "Genesis to Luke: A Long Journey to Christmas"
  (December 23, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Two Messages
  • All Power in Heaven and Earth"
• "Fasting, Penance: and Infinite Depths of Joy"
  (June 3, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Joy and Jesus
  • Jesus, Joy, and Standing Orders
• "The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Dead"
  (March 11, 2012)
• " 'Blessed are You Who Believed' "
  (December 21, 2011)