Epiphany, or manifestation, is what the Lord has delighted us in, revealing His love for us. It is an invitation to go deeper now, friends, at this very start of the new year. To dwell more deeply into the relationship we have with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to dwell in the mystery, of the water, the spirit, and the blood.
His love for us is so great that He has allowed us to be one with Him through our baptism. That is through the waters of our baptism. And then, He has given us His blood, body, and soul so that we can be one with Him through His divinity in the Holy Eucharist. And the Holy Spirit is always present to draw us deeper into His bosom.
Today, the Lord reminds us that we do not need to ask. Of course, He wants to heal and deliver us. And as we grow deeper in our loving relationship, we will move from inwardness to outwardness, to seek out all those in need of His healing and deliverance.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Amen.
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First reading
1 John 5:5-13
There are three witnesses: the Spirit and the water and the blood
Who can overcome the world?
Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God:
Jesus Christ who came by water and blood,
not with water only,
but with water and blood;
with the Spirit as another witness –
since the Spirit is the truth –
so that there are three witnesses,
the Spirit, the water and the blood,
and all three of them agree.
We accept the testimony of human witnesses,
but God’s testimony is much greater,
and this is God’s testimony,
given as evidence for his Son.
Everybody who believes in the Son of God
has this testimony inside him;
and anyone who will not believe God
is making God out to be a liar,
because he has not trusted
the testimony God has given about his Son.
This is the testimony:
God has given us eternal life
and this life is in his Son;
anyone who has the Son has life,
anyone who does not have the Son does not have life.
I have written all this to you
so that you who believe in the name of the Son of God
may be sure that you have eternal life.
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Gospel
Luke 5:12-16
‘If you want to, you can cure me’
Jesus was in one of the towns when a man appeared, covered with leprosy. Seeing Jesus he fell on his face and implored him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once. He ordered him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your healing as Moses prescribed it, as evidence for them.’
His reputation continued to grow, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their sickness cured, but he would always go off to some place where he could be alone and pray.
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