Jan 3 2025

First reading 1 John 2:29-3:6

Everyone must try to be as pure as Christ

You know that God is righteous –

then you must recognise that everyone whose life is righteous

has been begotten by him.

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,

by letting us be called God’s children;

and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him,

therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;

all we know is, that when it is revealed

we shall be like him

because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope

must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

Anyone who sins at all

breaks the law,

because to sin is to break the law.

Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin,

and that in him there is no sin;

anyone who lives in God does not sin,

and anyone who sins

has never seen him or known him.

Responsorial Psalm 97(98):1,3-6

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

Gospel John 1:29-34

‘Look: there is the Lamb of God’

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

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God’s love

“Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are” (1st reading). Let us take a moment to savour the truth of God’s love for us. He extravagantly lavished and poured out His love on us. He does not love us because of the great things we do or the many religious obligations we complete. He loves us with an overflowing love because He is love (1 John 4:16). This is our certainty and security as we journey through life. Let us ponder and reflect on whether we truly believe that God loves us, even in the moments when we do not love Him. Do we trust in His love?

In today’s gospel, John the Baptist, rooted in God’s love as His foundation, pointed Jesus out to others. He wanted people to know Jesus, not just by head knowledge but by encountering Him and having a heart knowledge of who He was. We are the John the Baptist of today. Rooted in our personal experience of God’s love, we are ready to reveal the God of love to those we meet each day.

Reflective question:
Is God’s love the foundation of my life and mission?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.