Daily Readings - Tue Dec 31 2019
1 John
18Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.20But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.21I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
John
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2He was in the beginning with God.3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.8He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.11He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.12But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.15(John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")16And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.18No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
Sermon
In today's readings, we delve into themes of truth, light, and the divine nature of Jesus Christ. The First Reading from 1 John 2:18-21 addresses the community amid the challenges of the end times, warning of the arrival of antichrists and reassuring the faithful of their secure position in the truth. The Gospel, John 1:1-18, presents the eternal Word, Jesus, who is both the source of creation and the incarnation of God's glory. This prologue contrasts the light of Jesus with the darkness of the world, emphasizing His role as the true Light that illuminates all humanity.
These readings are deeply connected, as they both emphasize the importance of recognizing and clinging to the truth. 1 John highlights the departure of false believers, underscoring the stability of God's truth for the faithful. John's Gospel establishes Jesus as the embodiment of this truth, the Word who brings life and light. Together, they remind us that in a world filled with darkness and falsehood, Jesus is the source of true light and understanding.
Applying this to our daily lives, we are called to discern truth from falsehood and remain steadfast in our faith. As children of God, we are transformed by our belief in Jesus, who offers us grace and truth. The moral lesson here is the enduring nature of God's truth and the transformative power of faith in Jesus. Let us embrace this truth, allowing it to guide us in our journey, and reflect the light of Christ in our world.