Daily Readings - Fri Jan 05 2024
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 way of life. John contrasts the selfishness 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 tells us, must be expressed in concrete actions, especially in caring for those in need. True love is not about what we say but about what we do, and it is through such love that we demonstrate our unity with God and our passage from death to life.
In the Gospel, we see how this love and faith are lived out in the lives of the disciples. Philip, having been called by Jesus, immediately shares the good news with Nathanael. Nathanael’s initial skepticism—“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”—is common to us all. We often doubt, question, and hesitate. But Philip’s response, “Come and see,” is an invitation to move beyond doubt and to encounter Jesus personally. When Nathanael meets Jesus, he is struck by Jesus’ knowledge of him even before they speak. This encounter leads Nathanael to profess faith in Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel. The Gospel reminds us that faith begins with an encounter with Jesus, and it grows as we experience his presence in our lives.
These readings challenge us to examine how we live out our faith and love in our daily lives. Are we like Cain, allowing selfishness and jealousy to rule our hearts, or are we like Nathanael, open to encountering Jesus and following him? John reminds us that love is not just a feeling but a choice to act selflessly for others. Let us ask ourselves: Do we love in words only, or do we love in deeds and in truth? Let us also remember that faith, like Nathanael’s, is a journey that begins with an invitation to “come and see” and deepens as we experience the presence of God in our lives. May we, like Nathanael, have the courage to follow Jesus and to share his love with others.