Seventh day in the Octave of Christmas

Another TV scandal almost emerged yesterday as one of the invited contestants in Celebrity Mastermind said she had been offered a ‘crib sheet.’ The BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Victoria Derbyshire said the offer was made when she was asked to take part in a festive special. But she later explained she was only offered "research guidance" and not answers to her specialist subject. In the end she decided not to take up the offer: she was not confident of getting the answers right, and later issued a statement to clarify her remarks. The BBC in reply said it merely points some struggling contestants in the right direction for their research.

On this the last day of the year there is lots of looking back and thinking about the past year, but also a lot of looking forward, as people make new year’s resolutions, perhaps looking to take their life in a new and different direction. The Gospel Reading is a familiar one and takes us back to the beginnings of our faith, in fact to the beginning of time, and the beginning of creation, as the gospel writer declares, ‘In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God.’ And it is John the Baptist who points us in the right direction towards the Word made flesh, to God in Christ who has come into the world. Christ is our origin, the one through whom we were made, but he is also our final destination, the one with whom and to whom we journey, the one who reveals God and makes him known.

The producers of Celebrity Mastermind wanted to point struggling contestants in the right direction so that they didn’t waste time studying unsuitable materials. In the first reading from the first letter of John we are told, ‘You have been anointed by the Holy One and have all received the knowledge.’ What is this knowledge? It is the message of God in Christ. So, as we look forward to a new year, we begin, as we always begin, with Christ. Whatever direction our life will take this coming year, whatever our resolutions and resolve to do better or be better, let’s hope and pray that we will be led closer to Christ. If that is the case, each step really will be a step in the right direction.

Readings: 1 John 2:18-21; John 1:1-18
The illustration for the homily may be found here