Daily Readings - Thu Jan 04 2024
1 John
7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
John
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"39"Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).42And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is 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.