January 4, 2014

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
Lectionary: 207
Reading 1 1 JN 3:7-10

Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.

This one verse contradicts everything that Protestants teach about justification. They claim that we are only covered over by Christ's righteousness. But St. John the apostle says that we become righteous. The person who does good is transformed into a good person.

Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.

Those who continue in sin after they have been justified in the waters of rebirth (i.e. baptism) will be condemned.

Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.

Jesus Christ came to teach us to do good. He is our example. The motif of the Scriptures can be reduced to, "the imitation of Christ".

No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God’s seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.

I think this has to do with one's level of perfection in the spiritual life. We can compare this to St. Paul's agonizing cry in another Scripture:

Romans 7:24-25  Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

In my opinion, St. John the apostle was speaking about himself when he made that statement. He obviously had a very close relationship with the Holy Spirit. And he was thoroughly transformed to reflect Jesus Christ

In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.

Therefore, St. John confirms what Jesus Christ taught. Jesus Christ said, "they will know you by your love (John 13:35)."

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 7-8, 9

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.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

How? How have all the ends of the earth seen the saving power of God? In my mind, this has been brought about by the teaching of the Catholic Church. It is the Catholic Church which is taught the word of God throughout the world. It is the Catholic Church which has brought the Scriptures to the whole world. It is the Catholic Church which feeds the whole world the bread of life which is the body and blood of our Lord Jesus.

Gospel JN 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”

St. John the Baptist was standing beside the other St. John (who would later become the apostle and the author of this gospel) and St. Andrew (St. Peter's brother and also an apostle). And as Jesus went by St. John the Baptist recognized him as the Messiah who would offer himself for the sins of the world.

The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”

When the two disciples of John the Baptist's heard it was the Messiah, they followed Jesus. Upon noticing them, Jesus asked him what they wanted.

They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”

They addressed him as, "Teacher", and asked him where he was staying.

This is important. The fact that they identify him as teacher from the moment they see him. The reason that this is important is because the Catholic Church is the body of Christ. The Catholic Church is the presence, the embodiment, of Christ in this world. And the Catholic Church is known as the Magisterium. "Magisterium" means "Teacher".

He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.

I was surprised to find out that St. Andrew was one of the first apostles. You rarely hear him mentioned in the Gospels. Saint Andrew, actually preceded his brother, Simon bar Jonah who would later be known as, St. Peter.

Anyway, St. John the apostle (a.k.a. the beloved disciple) and St. Andrew were the first two apostles to follow Jesus.

It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.

Saint Andrew did where we are all called to do. He learned his brother to Jesus Christ.

Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.

This has to do with predestination. The moment that Jesus Christ met Simon bar Jonah, he gave them the name "Rock". That is what Cephas means. (See also Matt 16:18 – 19).