January 11, 2014

Saturday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 217
Reading 1 1 JN 5:14-21

Beloved:
We have this confidence in him
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

This is the secret to having our prayers answered.  St. James tells us the same thing.  We must ask for those things which are in accordance with His Will.  Not for things which simply satisfy our passions and lusts.  But those things which are good for our neighbor.

And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.

Then we can be confident that what we prayed for, we will receive.

If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life.

We must pray for our brothers that they will cease to sin.

This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.
There is such a thing as deadly sin,
about which I do not say that you should pray.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

But if we suspect that our brothers have abandoned the love of God, we should leave them for God that He will discipline them and lead them back on the right path.

We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.

God protects the righteous from the Evil One.

We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.

The righteous who keep the Commandments of God belong to God.  But the rest of the world is under the power of Satan.

We also know that the Son of God has come
and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.

We are in the Son, in Jesus Christ, because we are members of His body.  Born again in the waters of regeneration, in the image of the Son of God.

Children, be on your guard against idols.

Idols come in many shapes and forms.  We, ourselves, can become idols which we begin to worship in place of God.  So can other people.  Money as well.  Thus, be on your guard that you do not begin to put any creature above God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sing to God and praise His Holy Name!  For He has begotten you in the image of His Son.  And He has brought you a sure hope of salvation.  Praised be God by all His creatures!  Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Gospel JN 3:22-30

Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,
where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings.
So they came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,
to whom you testified,
here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.”

St. John the Baptist reveals that his mission is now complete.  The One whose path he prepared has now arrived.  St. John must now step back and permit the Son of God to mount His Throne.