Daily Readings - Thu Dec 31 2020
1 John
18Little sons, it is the last hour. And, as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have arrived. By this, we know that it is the last hour19They went out from among us, but they were not of us. For, if they had been of us, certainly they would have remained with us. But in this way, it is made manifest that none of them are of us20Yet you have the anointing of the Holy One, and you know everything21I have not written to you as to ones who are ignorant of the truth, but as to ones who know the truth. For no lie is of the truth
John
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word2He was with God in the beginning3All things were made through Him, and nothing that was made was made without Him4Life was in Him, and Life was the light of men5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it6There was a man sent by God, whose name was John7He arrived as a witness to offer testimony about the Light, so that all would believe through him8He was not the Light, but he was to offer testimony about the Light9The true Light, which illuminates every man, was coming into this world10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him11He went to his own, and his own did not accept him12Yet whoever did accept him, those who believed in his name, he gave them the power to become the sons of God13These are born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God14And the Word became flesh, and he lived among us, and we saw his glory, glory like that of an only-begotten son from the Father, full of grace and truth15John offers testimony about him, and he cries out, saying: "This is the one about whom I said: ‘He who is to come after me, has been placed ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 16And from his fullness, we all have received, even grace for grace17For the law was given though Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ18No one ever saw God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he himself has described him
Sermon
In today's readings, we are invited to reflect on the nature of truth and fidelity in our faith. The first reading from 1 John warns us about the presence of antichrists, who are false teachers that lead people away from the truth. John emphasizes that these individuals were never truly part of the community of believers, as they chose to leave. He reassures us that we have the anointing of the Holy One, which gives us the knowledge of the truth, and we should not be deceived by such false teachings.
The Gospel from John presents the profound prologue that introduces Jesus as the Word of God. The Word is the source of all life and light, and John the Baptist is introduced as a witness to this light. The passage culminates in the Incarnation, where the Word becomes flesh, revealing God's glory and grace. This truth is contrasted with the law given through Moses, highlighting that through Jesus, we have received grace and truth.
These readings remind us to stay grounded in the truth of Christ amidst the challenges of false teachings. In our daily lives, we are called to discern and remain faithful, embracing the light of Christ. Let us seek to live according to the truth revealed in Jesus, staying true to our faith and trusting in God's grace. The moral lesson here is the importance of adhering to the truth and living as children of God, guided by the light of Christ.