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Tired and nursing a little hangover I was inclined to give day 7 of the Christmas Octave a miss. However as it was also a special day, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, I decided to honour her by attending her Son’s Octave celebration.

As I boarded the bus to church, I noticed this smiley Indian lady who boarded it at the same stop grinning at me. She looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place where I had seen her before. I reckoned she must be a fellow Parishioner and so greeted her with ‘Peace be with you’ she then reminded me that she was standing beside me carolling with the Rondolla group in Church. This was before the midnight Eucharist celebration on Christmas Eve. She further commented that I had a nice husky voice and it was a joy to sing along side me. I laughed and told her that I may have sounded husky because my throat was probably sore from singing with overzealous vigour for our Lord just as she was I’m sure. And that it was a joy for me too, to have been singing along side her. I introduced myself and she did likewise.

I then asked Rina if she was serving in any ministry yet, she replied that wasn’t and jokingly said that her excuse was that she had a young six year old son to contend with. I offered that when she felt ready to serve, to let me know which ministry she was interested in and that I would get her connected. Before parting ways I invited her to stop by for the octave if she had the time as she was on her way to buy some stuff for her son’s birthday party the next day.

The Octave itself was a nice cosy evening reflecting on Jesus through Mary. And the sharing by those who came up to give testimonies to Mary and Jesus was beautifully received. We prayed the rosary together as one loving community and sang some Marian hymns which I am sure many were touched in doing so.

Though we hear little of our blessed Mother in scripture, we know that she did everything with joy in her heart. The magnificat was her greatest song of joy. And so like Mary let us touch others by our singing the praises and wonders of our Lord and God with joy!

Many who live in the world are hardened by worldly values. They live for themselves and see that life is only for the survival of the fittest.

Don’t be fooled that only the devil is the Antichrist. Some of those amongst us are Antichrists even without realising it. Those who proclaim our faith as man made. Who prey on the weak and the helpless. Those who believe that they have the power and right to terminate life as they see fit. Those who proclaim other Gods other than the one Holy Trinity. Those who say and believe there is no God.

What a depressing world we live in!

But we need never despair. For while we live in the world, we are not of the world! We know the truth, the way and the life. He and He alone is the one true light. And all darkness retreats into nothingness.

Let us remain steadfast in His love and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord. Through His mercy let us reach out to all those who have strayed and lead them home to Him. Let us touch the lives of everyone with His love especially the poor, the sick and downtrodden. Let us stand ready to greet and receive Him when He comes again. 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.