Daily Readings - Thu Dec 31 2020
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 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.