Daily Readings - Fri Jan 05 2018
1 John
11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God
John
43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."49Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that."51He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, 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 commitment to action. John contrasts the wickedness 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 insists, must be expressed in concrete ways: sharing our resources with those in need and living out our faith in truth and action. The second reading from John’s Gospel shifts our focus to the call of Philip and Nathanael. Nathanael’s initial skepticism about Jesus gives way to faith when Jesus reveals his knowledge of Nathanael’s heart. This encounter teaches us that true faith is rooted in trust and openness to God’s revelation, even when it challenges our preconceptions.
Both readings emphasize the connection between belief and action. In the Gospel, Nathanael’s faith grows as he encounters Jesus, and he comes to recognize him as the Son of God. Similarly, in the first reading, John calls us to move beyond mere words of love to a life of self-giving service. The two readings together remind us that our faith must be lived out in tangible ways, just as our love for God and neighbor must be demonstrated through our actions. Jesus’ promise to Nathanael that he will see “greater things” than the sign he witnessed suggests that our faith will deepen as we follow him and live out his teachings.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How am I living out my faith in my daily life? Am I willing to love not just in words but in deeds? Am I open to the ways God might be revealing himself to me, even in unexpected ways? May we, like Nathanael, respond to God’s call with trust and humility, and may we, like John urges, love one another in truth and action. In doing so, we will not only grow in our relationship with God but also bear witness to his love in a world that so desperately needs it.