Daily Readings - Thu Jan 04 2024
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
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.