Today as 2022 comes to an end, let us take some time to reflect if we have been witnesses to the light of Christ in our lives; for family, friends, community, ministry, colleagues and the rest of the world.

Have we spoken His peace, love, word and truth? Such that it changed the atmosphere and brough His peace in difficult and challenging situations?

Have we prophesied over the lives of our brethren to share His thoughts and the joy He has for them? Sharing just how much He loves them and He has wonderful plans for them?

Have we prayed for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the lives of His flock and guided them into a deeper relationship with the Lord our God?

Have we brought the joy of knowing the Lord to unbelievers by loving them into His Kingdom?

Have whatever we said and done in His name bore witness to the light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

As we enter into the new year, let us not cling to what we have failed to do or on any other shortcomings we may have. Instead let us rejoice that God our loving Father loves us all with an endearing love. Let us begin 2023 with a renewal of mind, that we are His children so loved by Him and that we are empowered to make a great difference in the lives of everyone we meet as light bearers of Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Blessed New Year!

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First reading

1 John 2:18-21 ·

You have been anointed by the Holy One

Children, these are the last days;

you were told that an Antichrist must come,

and now several antichrists have already appeared;

we know from this that these are the last days.

Those rivals of Christ came out of our own number, but they had never really belonged;

if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us;

but they left us, to prove that not one of them

ever belonged to us.

But you have been anointed by the Holy One,

and have all received the knowledge.

It is not because you do not know the truth that I am writing to you

but rather because you know it already

and know that no lie can come from the truth.

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Gospel

John 1:1-18

The Word was made flesh, and lived among us

In the beginning was the Word:

and the Word was with God

and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things came to be,

not one thing had its being but through him.

All that came to be had life in him

and that life was the light of men,

a light that shines in the dark,

a light that darkness could not overpower.

A man came, sent by God.

His name was John.

He came as a witness,

as a witness to speak for the light,

so that everyone might believe through him.

He was not the light,

only a witness to speak for the light.

The Word was the true light

that enlightens all men;

and he was coming into the world.

He was in the world

that had its being through him,

and the world did not know him.

He came to his own domain

and his own people did not accept him.

But to all who did accept him

he gave power to become children of God,

to all who believe in the name of him

who was born not out of human stock

or urge of the flesh

or will of man

but of God himself.

The Word was made flesh,

he lived among us,

and we saw his glory,

the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father,

full of grace and truth.

John appears as his witness. He proclaims:

‘This is the one of whom I said:

He who comes after me ranks before me

because he existed before me.’

Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received –

yes, grace in return for grace,

since, though the Law was given through Moses,

grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God;

it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart,

who has made him known.