The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Tuesday before Epiphany
St. Basil the Great, bishop and doctor of the Church
St. Gregory Nazianzen, bishop and doctor of the Church
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 John 2:22-28
Psalm 98:1-4
John 1:19-28
A reflection on today's Scripture . . . .
Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ?. (see 1 John 2:22)
Today's scripture stresses the importance of the Holy Spirit to Christians. Jesus assured His disciples that though He must die, He would not leave them "orphaned," for He would send them an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who would teach them God's truth and how to love others sacrificially, as Christ has loved them (see John chapters 16 and 17). All true believers, those sincerely desiring to faithfully live in God's word, will be given His Spirit.
In the Gospel, John the Baptist dispels the people's notion that he is the Messiah by explaining that his mission is to prepare the way for Christ by awakening them to their sin, showing them their need for redemption, their living in God's Word soon to be fully revealed in Jesus the Christ. He tells them that receiving his baptism of water only signifies their desire to be cleansed of sin in preparation for being imbued with the new life offered them by the Messiah. John also tells them that when Christ comes He will baptize them with "fire," His Holy Spirit (see Matthew 3:11-12). This fire is painful yet purifying; it will burn the dross of sin in human souls and then ignite their hearts with God's love and truth.
John's first letter emphasizes that true believers in Christ will discern through their anointing with the Holy Spirit that those who deny Christ's divinity are spoilers. As Christians, we are to live in the hope of eternal life as promised to us by Christ through listening to and consistently obeying the Holy Spirit's prompting. These will be felt as gentle tugs within our minds and hearts whenever liars try to twist the Gospel to draw us away from Christ. We must hold fast within our hearts that Jesus Christ is the personification in human flesh of God's truth and love; we know this is so because Jesus, true God and true man, cannot lie.
Glorious Spirit of God,
may we never grieve nor quench Your prompting
as You work in us to make us holy,
to perfect us in God's love and truth.
Amen.
- Marie Bocko, OCDS (mlbocko at earthlink dot net)
