Wednesday, January 3rd
1 john 2: 29-3:6 John 1: 29-34
Theme: God is Righteous
In the 1st reading of today from St. John, he reminds us of the fact that God is righteous, and it is expected that as children of God, we should also follow suit. So, we must live a life that truly presents us as children of God, and sin should have no place any more in our lives. This stems from the fact that if we abide in God, then sin has no more place in our lives. Just like in the life of Jesus, we all must continue to strive to live a life that is devoid of sin and embrace holiness and righteousness of life. This is what is expected of us as children of God, who are united with him in word and deed. By implication, it simply means that we understand the fact that even though we are in the world, we are not of the world.
So, our actions are not driven by the ways of the world, but rather by God’s ways. This option is the choice we must make as children of God, who have declared for him and are willing and ready to enthrone the presence of God anywhere we find ourselves, through our words and actions. To live our daily lives this way is to secure our future in such a way that it is founded on God and will eventually lead us to salvation at the end of our earthly pilgrimage. It is a journey that is worth embarking on by all of us as children of God. It may be a challenging journey, but it is worth embarking on it. In the life of Jesus, it came out very clearly that the journey to heaven is not an easy one, but the good news is that it is worth all the stress at the end. The saying that “Nothing good comes easy” should continue to strengthen us when the journey gets tough for us.
In the gospel reading of today from St. John, we see the height of humility that is presented to us by John the Baptist. His assertion affirms the fact that Jesus is greater than him, and with his words he explained who Jesus was and how he got to know him. We have something to learn from the assertion of John the Baptist. He was content with the role given to him by God to play as a forerunner and willingly presented the identity of Jesus, even though it is going to make him less popular. This is something some of us find very difficult to accept and are willing to do anything like Herod to maintain their popularity. We all have a peculiar role to play in the script written by God, play your own role and happily leave the stage to others. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.