Daily Readings - Fri Jan 05 2018
1 John
11For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.12We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.13Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.17But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
John
43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."46Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"48Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."49Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"50Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."51And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of love, faith, and discipleship. In the first reading from 1 John, we are reminded that love is not merely a feeling or a word but a commitment to action. John contrasts the wickedness of Cain, who allowed jealousy to lead him to murder, with the selfless love of God, who laid down his life for us. This love, John insists, must be expressed in concrete ways: sharing our resources with those in need and living out our faith in truth and action. The second reading from John’s Gospel shifts our focus to the call of Philip and Nathanael. Nathanael’s initial skepticism about Jesus gives way to faith when Jesus reveals his knowledge of Nathanael’s heart. This encounter teaches us that true faith is rooted in trust and openness to God’s revelation, even when it challenges our preconceptions.
Both readings emphasize the connection between belief and action. In the Gospel, Nathanael’s faith grows as he encounters Jesus, and he comes to recognize him as the Son of God. Similarly, in the first reading, John calls us to move beyond mere words of love to a life of self-giving service. The two readings together remind us that our faith must be lived out in tangible ways, just as our love for God and neighbor must be demonstrated through our actions. Jesus’ promise to Nathanael that he will see “greater things” than the sign he witnessed suggests that our faith will deepen as we follow him and live out his teachings.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How am I living out my faith in my daily life? Am I willing to love not just in words but in deeds? Am I open to the ways God might be revealing himself to me, even in unexpected ways? May we, like Nathanael, respond to God’s call with trust and humility, and may we, like John urges, love one another in truth and action. In doing so, we will not only grow in our relationship with God but also bear witness to his love in a world that so desperately needs it.