January 3, 2014

Christmas Weekday 
Lectionary: 206
Reading 1 1 JN 2:29-3:6

If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness
is begotten by him.

Children are like their fathers. If God is your father, then you will imitate him. If God is your father, then you will obey him.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.

We are God's children because He created us.  We, who are baptized, are God's children because we are born again in His image, in the Body of Christ, His Son, who is the image of the Father.

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

The world did not know that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, the Word of God, who was there from the beginning.  Through whom all things were created.

Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.

We are born in natural bodies but when we are reborn, we shall have spiritual bodies (1 Cor 15:44).  God is spirit (John 4:24).  When we are born again in the Spirit, we become like God and are His children.

Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

All who are born again in the Spirit of God strive to be pure.  We strive to be transformed from flesh to spirit.  From corruption to incorruption.  From injustice to justice.  We strive to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect (Matt 5:48).

Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,
for sin is lawlessness.

All who commit sin, transgress the law of the Commandments.  For all sin is transgression of the Commandments of God.  All sin is transgression of the Will of God.  All who commit sin are children of the lawless One.

You know that he was revealed to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin.
No one who remains in him sins;
no one who sins has seen him or known him.

Any person who intentionally remains in sin is a child of the lawless One and is not a child of God.  Those who love God refrain from sin.  Those who love God seek to do the works of the Spirit and are beloved of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 3CD-4, 5-6

R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Jesus Christ is the saving power of God.  He saved us by dying on the Cross and pouring out His saving grace upon us through the Sacraments.  

Gospel JN 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

St. John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God.  This is a very significant name.  St. Paul called Jesus the "Paschal sacrifice" (1 Cor 5:7).  This is another way of saying the same thing.  Jesus Christ came to die for our sins.  He offered Himself to the Father as an expiation for the sins of mankind (Heb 9:15).  And He offered Himself so that those who live might turn to Him and have eternal life (Rom 6:23).

He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’

Jesus Christ is God and therefore existed before the world was made.  It is through Him that all things were made.

I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”

St. John the Baptist was the Precursor who came to prepare the way of the Lord.

John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

God told St. John the Baptist that the Spirit of God would come down like a dove and rest upon Our Lord.  And this is how the Father identified the Son.