REFLECTION:
The Good News that we celebrate at Christmastime is the “singular love the Father has for us!“ The Father, by sending His only begotten Son for us sinners, has revealed His love! We are truly the “BELOVED“ of God as St. John writes in our 1st reading.
Unfortunately, sometimes we forget this beautiful truth because we have not experienced unconditional love from those who should love us so, or because we feel so unworthy of being loved because of our sins.
John the Baptist directs our attention to the LAMB OF GOD who takes away the sins of the world. What awesome mystery! Jesus, the sinless one, has come and clothed Himself with our sinful human nature so that He might wash us clean of our sins! We must never forget this Good News! For when we were baptized we were sealed in the Holy Name of Jesus! The same Holy Spirit that descended on Jesus is the same Holy Spirit we received at our own baptism marking us forever as “BELOVED“ of God!
January 03, 2017
Gospel: Jn 1:29-34 -
The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! It is he of whom I said: A man comes after me, who is already ahead of me, for he was before me. I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing to prepare for him, so that he might be revealed in Israel.“
And John also gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit coming down on him, like a dove from heaven, and resting on him. I myself did not know him, but God, who sent me to baptize, told me, ‘You will see the Spirit coming down, and resting on the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen! And I declare that this is the Chosen One of God!“
Published in
Daily Gospel
