Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 3, 2018
First Reading: 1 John 2.29; 3.1-6
29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Psalm 98
1Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.2The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.3He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.4Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;5make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,6with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn- shout for joy before the LORD, the King.7Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.8Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy;9let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
Gospel: John 1.29-34
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on our identity as children of God and the profound love of the Father that has made this possible. In the first reading from 1 John, we are reminded that we are born of God and called to live justly, for sin is iniquity and contrary to God’s nature. John emphasizes that those who abide in God do not sin, for sin separates us from Him. This passage calls us to holiness, urging us to keep ourselves pure as we await the full revelation of what we shall be when Christ appears.
The Gospel reading from John complements this by focusing on the revelation of Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John the Baptist’s testimony highlights Jesus’ divine identity and mission. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus confirms Him as the Son of God and the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Together, these readings remind us that our identity as children of God is rooted in the love of the Father and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
As we reflect on these readings, let us consider how they apply to our daily lives. To be children of God is not merely a title but a way of life. It calls us to live with integrity, avoiding sin and striving for holiness. Just as John the Baptist pointed others to Jesus, we too are called to witness to the love and mercy of God in our words and actions. Let us embrace the hope of our heavenly inheritance and live in a way that reflects our true identity as sons and daughters of God. May we, like John, testify to the world that Jesus is the Son of God, and may His Spirit guide us in living out this calling with joy and fidelity.