20251231 THE ANTICHRISTS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
31 December 2025, Wednesday, 7th Day within the Octave of Christmas
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.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 95(96):1-2,11-13 |
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Proclaim his help day by day,
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,
let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the wood shout for joy
at the presence of the Lord for he comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
With justice he will rule the world,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
A hallowed day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, worship the Lord,
for today a great light has shone down upon the earth.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn1:14,12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.
To all who received him he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!
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.
THE ANTICHRISTS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Jn 2:18-21; Jn 1:1-18]
St John wrote, “These are the last days.” Today is the last day of the calendar year, but are we truly in the last days? How do we know that we are living in the last days and not merely on the last day of the year? Indeed, the last day of the calendar year is not as important as the last days themselves. The truth is that the last day of the calendar year is merely a number. The frightening reality is that we are actually living in the last days. Why is this so? If we open our eyes to what is happening in the world, we cannot help but see the signs of the last days or, as St John wrote, the days of the antichrists. Where, then, are the antichrists of the last days?
Firstly, the antichrist is seen in the culture of death that is being promoted in the world. Society hypocritically demands respect for human life by calling for the abolition of the death penalty for all crimes committed, while at the same time killing millions of babies through abortion. In at least one country, abortion at birth has been legalised. The world also promotes suicide and euthanasia. The sacredness of life must be upheld from birth to death, not merely at certain stages of human life. Satan seeks to destroy the world by allowing criminals to commit crimes and kill without fear for their own lives, while simultaneously disregarding the lives of innocent babies and the vulnerable elderly.
Secondly, the antichrist is seen in the culture of utilitarianism. Society promotes an emphasis on productivity as a condition for reward and worth. Only those who produce and contribute are considered to have a right to live; others are seen as taking up space on this small planet. The weak, the sick, those with special needs, and the elderly are being eliminated from society because they are viewed as useless, non-productive, burdensome, and a drain on our energy and resources. There is a profound lack of graciousness and compassion for those who are slow, weak, and defenceless.
Thirdly, the antichrist is seen in the culture of materialism. Life is reduced to the pursuit of pleasure. People work and make money in order to enjoy the riches and comforts of life. It is no longer about selfless service, meaning, or love; instead, it is about enriching oneself, enjoying the gifts of creation and technology, and living a sensual and entertaining life. Great emphasis is placed on caring for the body–striving to remain forever young, beautiful, attractive, and healthy–so as to live as long as possible, because life is believed to end with death. We forget that the greatest and most essential things in life are often unseen and invisible: love, compassion, kindness, generosity, relationships, and friendship.
Fourthly, the antichrist is seen in the culture of humanism. Humanity no longer believes in God as the answer to all questions about life. Instead, people believe they can do everything on their own and that God is no longer needed. There is no God, no afterlife, no “beyond”–only one reality: the planet and human existence. Yet the truth is that both the planet and humanity are moving toward self-destruction because we live only for ourselves and for this world. We believe we can solve all problems, yet we cannot answer the most basic questions of life: where we come from, where we go after death, and what the meaning of life on earth is, especially in the face of suffering and death. If we cannot answer these essential questions, then all other answers lose their meaning because they are non-essential. When humanity rejects God and takes control of life apart from Him, confusion and disorder inevitably follow.
Fifthly, the antichrist is seen in the culture of individualism. With the rise of humanism and secularism, relativism has become the dominant philosophy. This has made us increasingly individualistic and self-righteous, each believing that we are right in our own way and that no one possesses the truth. Individual freedom is emphasised to such an extent that the rights of others and the good of the larger community are ignored. Life becomes cantered on myself, my ideas, and my rights, with little concern for the common good. Marriage is viewed in purely individualistic terms, focused on companionship rather than on procreation and the continuation of the human family. Identity is reduced to “my country and my people,” rather than a concern for the whole of humanity, as nationalism is promoted at the expense of globalisation. The arts, too, are often used to emphasise individual expression without regard for whether the values being promoted are wholesome, life-giving, tolerant, loving, and uplifting; instead, they have become means of profanation, vulgarity, insult, mockery, and disrespect for people’s beliefs and cultures.
Sixthly, the antichrist is seen in the New Age Movement. As a result of secularism and materialism, a spiritual vacuum has emerged in the hearts of many. In an attempt to satisfy this spiritual hunger, the New Age Movement seeks to blend spirituality with modern science and technology. In reality, it offers a disguised way for humanity to gain power over the universe by tapping into inner and cosmic energies. Through meditation, occult practices, and the manipulation of so-called cosmic forces, people hope to discover a “true self” that is believed to be divine. Even some Catholics have unwittingly embraced these New Age philosophies, becoming captivated by the sense of positive energy they claim to experience through such practices.
However, the most dangerous antichrist is not outside the Church but within. This is precisely what St John warns against: “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.” The true antichrist manifests itself in corruption, scandals, deviations from the truth, false compromises, spiritual worldliness, and half-truths taught by Church leaders, theologians, and lay leaders. Many have been contaminated by worldly values such as relativism, rationalism, and secularism. As Church leaders openly disagree and challenge one another, ordinary Catholics are left lost and confused, uncertain about what is right or wrong.
That is why, if we want to save humanity and the planet from self-destruction, we must return to the beginning. As St John proclaimed, “In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” Indeed, the fact is that we already have the truth. “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.” Instead of being like St John the Baptist who came to bear witness to Jesus as the Truth of God and humanity, we are have become counter-witnesses. St John the Baptist, “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.”
This has happened because we have forgotten the truths of creation, incarnation and salvation. We have forgotten that we are created by God through His Word. “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.” Because man strayed from the truth, Christ – the Light of the world – came to show us the way to God and to recover our dignity as the children of God. Christ is the Word of God made flesh in person. “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”. He is the Light of the world, the Way, the Truth and the Life. If the world is confused, it is because they did not recognise Jesus as the Light of humanity. “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.”
However, the Good News is this, “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.” Indeed, there is hope for humanity and this planet – which we call earth – unless we lead humanity to turn to Christ the Light of the world, for “from his fullness we have, all of us, received – yes, grace in return for grace.” The reason is simple, “No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” Only Christ who is the Son of God can lead us to the heart of the Father and give us back our sonship.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
