Daily Readings - Fri Jan 03 2025
1 John
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.
John
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 He has shown us in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to take away the sin of the world. In the first reading from 1 John, we are reminded that we are called to live as sons and daughters of God, a truth that should transform how we see ourselves and how we live. John emphasizes that our hope in Christ should lead us to holiness, for sin contradicts the very nature of God, and those who abide in Him do not sin. This passage challenges us to examine our lives and strive for purity of heart as we await the full revelation of what we shall be when Christ appears.
In the Gospel, John the Baptist points to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This title, "Lamb of God," is rich in meaning, recalling the sacrifices of the Old Testament and foreshadowing Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the cross. John's testimony also highlights the Holy Spirit's role in revealing Jesus' true identity as the Son of God. This passage reminds us that our encounter with Christ is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and it calls us to bear witness to Jesus in our own lives, just as John did.
These readings are deeply connected. Both emphasize the transformative power of God's love and the call to holiness. As children of God, we are called to live in a way that reflects our divine adoption, avoiding sin and striving to be like Christ. In our daily lives, this means living with integrity, loving one another, and being mindful of the presence of the Holy Spirit who guides us. Let us ask ourselves: Do we truly live as children of God? Do we allow the Spirit to transform us and empower us to witness to the love of Christ in the world? May we embrace our identity as sons and daughters of God and live in a way that reflects the hope and holiness He has given us.