Daily Readings - Fri Jan 04 2019
1 John
7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.8Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.9No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
John
35The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,36and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.38Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"39He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.40One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.41He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ).42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means 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.