Many today refuse to accept Jesus into their lives because they can neither understand nor see the reality of the truth. And so they seek to extinguish the light of the truth within us. However no one can do so unless we allow for it to be snuffed out. But let us for moment ponder why would they even seek to do so? Why can they not see the reality of the truth?
Perhaps we ourselves are not living as children of the light? We do not exhibit the joy, peace and love we ought to have and share. We have not fully reconciled with our Lord and God. Perhaps we equate humility with shame and so there is little or none within in us. And so the light within us is so dim that others cannot see His face.
Lord Jesus, just as St John the Baptist did, I humbly request to let me help prepare the way so that You can enter the hearts of the many still living in darkness. Let Your face shine through me so that they may see and want the light that burns brightly from within. Amen
First reading
1 John 2:22-28
The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ –
he is the liar,
he is Antichrist;
and he is denying the Father as well as the Son,
because no one who has the Father can deny the Son,
and to acknowledge the Son is to have the Father as well.
Keep alive in yourselves what you were taught in the beginning:
as long as what you were taught in the beginning is alive in you,
you will live in the Son
and in the Father;
and what is promised to you by his own promise
is eternal life.
This is all that I am writing to you about the people who are trying to lead you astray.
But you have not lost the anointing that he gave you,
and you do not need anyone to teach you;
the anointing he gave teaches you everything;
you are anointed with truth, not with a lie,
and as it has taught you, so you must stay in him.
Live in Christ, then, my children,
so that if he appears, we may have full confidence,
and not turn from him in shame
at his coming.
Gospel
John 1:19-28
This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I am, as Isaiah prophesied:
a voice that cries in the wilderness:
Make a straight way for the Lord.’
Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.
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