ACTS OF THE 7th EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY OF LAY DOMINICAN FRATERNITIES

Annex VIb

GOD IS LOVE
Recital from the Gospel according St. John
Texts chosen by Fr. Milan Badal OP
Adapted by: Miroslav Částek

August 1993

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. (1:1)
Music
All things were made by Him
and nothing that was made came into being without Him. (1:3)
In Him was Life,
and the Life was the Light of men. (1:4)

JESUS
I am the Light of the World.
He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light of Life. (8:12)
Whoever believes in Me, believes not only in Me but in Him who sent Me. (12:44)
I have come into the world to be a Light, so that whoever believes in Me shall not
remain in the dark. (12:46)

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. (1:1)
All things were made by Him
and nothing that was made came into being without Him. (1:3)
In Him was Life,
and the Life was the Light of men. (1:4)

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He was a burning and a shining light. (5:35)
He came
to bear witness to the Light (1:8)
so that everybody believed through him.
He was not the Light, but was sent to bear witness of the Light. (1:8)

EVANGELIST
Now this is the witness of John, given when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and
Levites to ask Him, "Who are you?" (1:19)
And he confessed, and denied not, but confessed: (1:20)

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JOHN THE BAPTIST
I am not the Christ. (1:20)

EVANGELIST
And they asked him, What then? (1: 21) Who are you? What do you say about
yourself?" (1.22)

JOHN THE BAPTIST

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, (1:23)
He, who is coming after me, is preferred to me, (1:27)
He must increase, but I must decrease (3:30)
And from his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. (1:16)
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (1:17)
See! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (1:.29)

EVANGELIST
Remaining in Jesus’s word, we shall know the truth, and the truth will set us free. (8:32)

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him
not. (1:10)
He came to His own world, yet His own people did not welcome Him. (1:11)

JOHN THE BAPTIST

He who is of the earth is of the earth. He who comes from heaven is over all. (3:31)
He bears witness to what He has seen and heard, yet no one believes His witness (1:32)
Whoever accepts His witness certifies that God is true. (1:33)
For He whom God has sent speaks God's Word, (1:34)
The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. (1:35)
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, but he who does not believe in the
Son shall not see life, and the wrath of God rests on him. (1:36)

He came to His own world,

yet His own people did not welcome Him. (1:11)

EVANGELIST
And the Jews argued with him, "Is not this fellow Jesus, Joseph's son, whose father
and mother we know? What does he mean by saying, “I have come down from
heaven”? (6:42)

He came to His own world,

yet His own people did not welcome Him. (1:11)

EVANGELIST
And among the crowds there was much heated discussion about Him. Some said,
"He is a good man." Others declared, "No! For he is leading the people astray. (7:12)

They said to Jesus:

Who are you?
He replied:

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JESUS
When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I
do nothing of Myself, but speak these things as My Father has directed Me. (8:28)
He who sent Me is with Me still. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do
what is pleasing to Him (8:29)

He came to His own world,

yet His own people did not welcome Him. (1:11)

JESUS
I rely on weightier testimony than John's. In the works My Father gave Me to carry
through – the very works I am doing – there is sufficient testimony that the Father has
sent Me. (5:36)
The Father who sent Me has Himself borne witness to Me. You, however, have never
heard His voice, nor have you seen His form. (5:37-38)
And you have not kept His word in your heart, for you do not believe in the One
whom He sent. (5:38)
You search the Scriptures, for you think that in them you have everlasting life, and
they are the very writings that testify about Me. (5:39)
Yet you will not come to Me in order to have life (5:40)
I do not seek honour among men, (5:41)
but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. (5:42)
For I have come in the name of My Father, and yet you do not welcome Me. If
another comes in his own name, you will welcome him. (5:43)
How can you believe, you who take honour from one another but do not seek the
honour that is from the only God? (5:44)

He came to His own world,

yet His own people did not welcome Him. (1:11)
He proved that no prophet is accepted in his own country. (Lk 4:24)

The True Light, which enlightens every man, was coming into the world (1:9)
This Light entered the world.

SONG
I am the Light of the World. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but
will have the Light of Life. (8:12)
Whoever believes in Me, believes not only in Me but ion Him who sent Me. (12:44)
I have come into the world to be a Light, so that whoever believes in Me shall not
remain in the dark. (12:46)

EVANGELIST
But men have loved darkness rather than the Light, for their works were wicked (3:19)
For everyone who does wrong hates the light and stays away from it, else his deeds
would be found out. (3:20).
But he who follows the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to
have been done in God (3:21)
The Light shines in the darkness (1:5), but the darkness did not destroy it.

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 The True Light, which enlightens every man,
was coming into the world. (1:9)

JESUS
Walk while you have the Light, else darkness may overtake you. When one is
walking in the dark he doesn't know where he is going. (12:35)
Believe in the Light while you have the Light, so that you may become sons of Light. (12:36)
I have come into the world to be a Light, so that whoever believes in Me shall not
remain in the dark. (12:46)

EVANGELIST
God is spirit, and those who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth. (4:24)

EVANGELIST
Among the Pharisees there was a man named Nicodemus, who was a leader among
the Jews.
He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Master, we know that You are a
Teacher come from God, for no one could do the miracles You do unless God were
with him." (3:1-2)
Jesus answered him:

JESUS
I tell you, truly, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God (3:3-4)

EVANGELIST
How can a man be born when He is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb and be
born a second time, can he? (3:4)

JESUS
I assure you, this is true: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot come
into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit. (3:5-6)
You must be born from above. (3:7)
The wind blows wherever it will and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it
comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. (3:8)

But to those who welcomed Him, to those believing in His name, He gave the
right to be the children of God (1:12)

EVANGELIST
For God so loved the world that He gave His only born Son, that all who believe in
Him shall not die, but have everlasting life (3:16)

These are born, not of blood, nor the desires of the flesh, nor the will of man,
but of God. (1:13)

And the Word became Flesh and lived among us. (1:14)

EVANGELIST
The Bread of God is that which comes out of heaven and gives life to the world. (6:33)

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Jesus said to them:

JESUS:
I am the Bread of Life. (6:35)
I am the Living Bread that came out of heaven. Whoever eats of this Bread shall live
forever. The Bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the
world. (6:51)

And the Word became Flesh and lived among us. (1:14)

JESUS
This is My commandment: Love one another, just as I have loved you.
Greater love has no man than this, that he lays down his life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is about.
But I have called you friends, for I have told you everything that I heard from My
Father. (15:12-15)

JESUS
You did not choose Me. I chose you. And I have appointed you to go out and to bear
fruit – fruit that will be lasting – so that the Father may give you everything that you
may ask for in My name.
So this is My command to you: love one another. (15:16-17)

And the Word became Flesh and lived among us. (1:14)

GOD IS LOVE

JESUS
Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You. For
You gave Him authority over all mankind; yes, You gave Him everything so that He
may give them everlasting life. (17:1-2)
And this is eternal life - to know You, the only true God, and Jesus the Christ whom
You have sent. (17:3)

GOD IS LOVE

JESUS
I have revealed Your name to the people You have given Me out of the world. They
were Yours, but You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your Word. They now
understand that everything that You gave Me is from You.
For I gave them the Word which You gave Me, and they accepted it. (17:6-8)

GOD IS LOVE

JESUS
I am praying for them. I am not making any request for the world, but for those whom
You gave Me, for they are Yours. (17:9)
Everything of Mine is Yours, and Yours is Mine (17:10)
I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word. (17:20)

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I gave them the glory that You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are One; I in
them and You in Me, so that they may be made completely one, (17:22-23)
Righteous Father, I knew You though the world did not, and these knew that You
sent Me. I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the
love that You had for Me may be in them, and that I may be in them. (17:25)

GOD IS LOVE
GOD IS LOVE
GOD IS LOVE

EPILOG

The Word was in the beginning;

the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.

All things were made by Him

and nothing that was made
came into being without Him.
In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.
The Light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God

whose name was John.
He came to be a witness, to tell about the Light,
so that men through him might believe.
He was not the Light,
but came to bear witness to the Light.
The True Light, which enlightens every man,
was coming into the world.
He was in the world –
the world that had come into being through Him –
yet the world did not know Him.
He came to His own world,
yet His own people did not welcome Him.
But to those who welcomed Him,
to those believing in His name,
He gave the right to be the children of God.
These are born, not of blood, nor the desires of the flesh,
nor the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became Flesh and lived among us. (1:14)

GOD IS LOVE
GOD IS LOVE
GOD IS LOVE