Daily Readings - Thu Jan 04 2024
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
In today's readings, we first hear from 1 John, who reminds us that living justly and lovingly is a mark of being born of God. He distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil through their actions, emphasizing that true followers of God do not sin and are driven by love and justice. In the Gospel, John the Baptist's disciples encounter Jesus, leading to Andrew bringing his brother Simon Peter to meet Him. This pivotal moment illustrates the power of personal invitation in spreading the Gospel.
The context of 1 John's letter is a call to early Christians to embody righteousness and love, contrasting the behaviors of those aligned with God versus those aligned with the devil. In the Gospel, John the Baptist's role as a precursor to Jesus highlights the transition from his ministry to Jesus', showing how the first disciples came to faith through personal encounters and invitations.
These readings connect through themes of identity and mission. 1 John focuses on living as children of God, while the Gospel shows this identity leading to action—sharing the Gospel with others. Andrew's eagerness to bring Peter to Jesus exemplifies how our faith should naturally lead us to invite others into a relationship with Christ.
In our daily lives, we are called to live justly and love unconditionally, reflecting our identity as God's children. Like Andrew, we should be open to sharing our faith, trusting that encounters with Jesus can transform lives. The moral lesson here is the importance of authentic faith and its active sharing, ensuring our actions and words bring others closer to God.