Daily Readings - Fri Jan 04 2019
1 John
7Little sons, let no one deceive you. Whoever does justice is just, even as he also is just8Whoever commits sin is of the devil. For the devil sins from the beginning. For this reason, the Son of God appeared, so that he might eradicate the works of the devil9All those who have been born of God do not commit sin. For the offspring of God abides in them, and he is not able to sin, because he was born of God10In this way, the sons of God are made manifest, and also the sons of the devil. Everyone who is not just, is not of God, as also anyone who does not love his brother
John
35The next day again, John was standing with two of his disciples36And catching sight of Jesus walking, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God.37And two disciples were listening to him speaking. And they followed Jesus38Then Jesus, turning around and seeing them following him, said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi (which means in translation, Teacher), where do you live?39He said to them, "Come and see." They went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour40And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard about him from John and had followed him41First, he found his brother Simon, and he said to him, "We have found the Messiah," (which is translated as the Christ)42And he led him to Jesus. And Jesus, gazing at him, said: "You are Simon, son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas," (which is translated as Peter)
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on our identity as children of God and our response to His call in our lives. In the first reading from 1 John, we are reminded that those who are born of God do not sin because God’s seed abides in them. This passage emphasizes the importance of living justly and loving one another, for it is through these actions that we manifest our true identity as sons and daughters of God. The apostle John encourages us to avoid deception and to remain steadfast in our commitment to justice and love, which are the hallmarks of a life lived in God.
In the Gospel, we see the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry as two disciples of John the Baptist encounter the Messiah. Their immediate response to follow Jesus and their eagerness to share this discovery with others—like Andrew bringing his brother Peter—demonstrate the transformative power of encountering Christ. This passage highlights the importance of openness to God’s call and the urgency of sharing the Good News with others. Just as Andrew brought Peter to Jesus, we too are called to lead others to Him through our words and actions.
These readings remind us that our faith is not meant to be static or private. As children of God, we are called to live lives of integrity and love, and to actively share the joy of knowing Christ with others. Let us ask ourselves: Am I living in a way that reflects my identity as a child of God? Am I open to following Jesus wherever He leads? And am I eager to bring others to Him? May we, like the disciples, respond with faith and enthusiasm to God’s call, and may our lives bear witness to the transformative power of His love.