Please read this passage before reading the homily.

What was from the beginning?  What have we heard?  What have we seen with our own eyes?  What have we looked upon and touched with our hands?  If you have answered, “the Word of life?” to these questions, you have answered correctly.   This Word was once invisible, but it also had no beginning since the Word is eternal life.  What John is talking about is not some isolated event or thing.  It was invisible and with the Father; it became visible to us.  It is part of us and of our history.

This word, once only invisible, became visible so that we would be able to have fellowship with the Father.  Fellowship with the Father includes fellowship with one another.  What once was invisible is now made visible.  The Word has always existed, but now we can experience it.  We are part of the history of the Word.  The Word did not jump into existence only in our time, it had existed since before time.  We are not the first to experience the Word, nor are we the last; it has existed from the beginning and all things were made through this Word.

We are partners with all previous generations and all future generations in this Word of God.  We are part of the history and part of present of this word.  We must also be part of the future of it.  It is very important that we remain faithful to the Word.  This is how we have fellowship with the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and with one another.

This is the central theme of this letter.  Many people in John’s day had trouble accepting this and John must write and tell them the truth about the Word, that it is for everyone, not just for a few and that it is the same Word for everyone, past present and future.  What was from the beginning, John has heard, seen, looked upon and touched.  No other word can claim us or make our joy complete.

I encourage you to read the whole of this first letter of John this week and next and experience how John calls his people back to the Word of God.