In princípio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in princípio apud Deum. Ómnia per ipsum facta sunt: et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est. In ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hóminum: et lux in ténebris lucet, et ténebræ eam non comprehendérunt.
✦Fuit homo missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Ioánnes. Hic venit in testimónium, ut testimónium perhibéret de lúmine, ut omnes créderent per illum. Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimónium perhibéret de lúmine. Erat lux vera, quæ illúminat omnem hóminem veniéntem in hunc mundum.
In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum non cognóvit. In própria venit, et sui eum non recepérunt. Quotquot autem recepérunt eum, dedit eis potestátem fílios Dei fíeri, his qui credunt in nómine eius: qui non ex sanguínibus, neque ex voluntáte carnis, neque ex voluntáte viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt.
ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, et habitávit in nobis: et vídimus glóriam eius, glóriam quasi Unigéniti a Patre, plenum grátiæ et veritátis.
✦In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men: and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name: who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us: and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The traditional Mass does not simply end — it closes with the Prologue of St. John, the opening fourteen verses of the Fourth Gospel, read by the priest at the altar as the "Last Gospel." In soaring words it proclaims the eternity of the Word, "in the beginning," through whom all things were made, and the wonder of the Incarnation: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
At those very words — Et Verbum caro factum est — the priest and the faithful genuflect, adoring once more the mystery by which God became man, the same mystery honored at the Creed. It is a fitting seal upon the Holy Sacrifice: having received the Word made flesh in Communion, the faithful hear again the Gospel of His coming before they are sent out into the world.
The custom of reciting John's Prologue after Mass grew through the Middle Ages as a treasured devotional Gospel, and it was made a fixed part of every Mass in the Roman Missal of Pope St. Pius V (1570). It was set aside in the reform of 1969, which is one more reason it is loved in the traditional rite as a final proclamation of the Incarnate Word.
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him:
and without him was made nothing that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men:
and the light shineth in darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
This man came for a witness,
to give testimony of the light,
that all men might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but was to give testimony of the light.
That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man
that cometh into this world.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him,
and the world knew him not.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
But as many as received him,
he gave them power to be made the sons of God,
to them that believe in his name:
who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH,
and dwelt among us:
and we saw his glory,
the glory as it were of the only-begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
In princípio erat Verbum,
et Verbum erat apud Deum,
et Deus erat Verbum.
Hoc erat in princípio apud Deum.
Ómnia per ipsum facta sunt:
et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est.
In ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hóminum:
et lux in ténebris lucet,
et ténebræ eam non comprehendérunt.
Fuit homo missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Ioánnes.
Hic venit in testimónium,
ut testimónium perhibéret de lúmine,
ut omnes créderent per illum.
Non erat ille lux,
sed ut testimónium perhibéret de lúmine.
Erat lux vera, quæ illúminat omnem hóminem
veniéntem in hunc mundum.
In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est,
et mundus eum non cognóvit.
In própria venit, et sui eum non recepérunt.
Quotquot autem recepérunt eum,
dedit eis potestátem fílios Dei fíeri,
his qui credunt in nómine eius:
qui non ex sanguínibus, neque ex voluntáte carnis,
neque ex voluntáte viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt.
ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST,
et habitávit in nobis:
et vídimus glóriam eius,
glóriam quasi Unigéniti a Patre,
plenum grátiæ et veritátis.
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him:
and without him was made nothing that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men:
and the light shineth in darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
This man came for a witness,
to give testimony of the light,
that all men might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but was to give testimony of the light.
That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man
that cometh into this world.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him,
and the world knew him not.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
But as many as received him,
he gave them power to be made the sons of God,
to them that believe in his name:
who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH,
and dwelt among us:
and we saw his glory,
the glory as it were of the only-begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.