DISTORTED TRUTHS IS THE CAUSE OF DIVISION

20170102 DISTORTED TRUTHS IS THE CAUSE OF DIVISION

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

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.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 97(98):1-4 ©

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Sing a new song to the Lord

  for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

  have brought salvation.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

The Lord has made known his salvation;

  has shown his justice to the nations.

He has remembered his truth and love

  for the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

All the ends of the earth have seen

  the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

  ring out your joy.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Gospel Acclamation

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!

Or

Heb1:1-2

Alleluia, alleluia!

At various times in the past

and in various different ways,

God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;

but in our own time, the last days,

he has spoken to us through his Son.

Alleluia!

Or

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!

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.

DISTORTED TRUTHS IS THE CAUSE OF DIVISION

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 JOHN 2:22-28;  JOHN 1:19-28 ]

It is said that half-truths are worse than lies.  It is more insidious because falsehood is rejected outright but apparent truths are often mistaken as the full truth.  This is also the case of relativism.  Community is divided because of such half-truths.  It creates confusion, distrust and misleads members, pitting them one against another.  That is why the world is also so divided because of half-truths about life.

This was the case of the early Church.  It is significant that the division started as early as the foundation of the Church.  St John was battling against the heresies that were spreading among Christians.  Heresies are precisely half-truths.  They were saying that Jesus was not the Christ.  Some said that Jesus was the Christ but that He was only human.  Others said that He was only divine but not human.  The half-truths therefore surrounded the identity of Jesus, the “who” and the “what” of Jesus.  To doubt the divinity and humanity of Jesus will affect our salvation because if Jesus were not God, then we would never know God.  If He were not man, then we cannot follow Him in doing the will of God.

And sad to say, such half truths originated from among the Christians.  The most dangerous enemy is never outside the Church but within.  They sow seeds of division by confusing and misleading others.  This is true of any organization.  Many organizations and communities are destroyed by enemies from within; not from without.  This is true also of the Church.

Hence, St John made it clear that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Anything less will not do.  Profession of faith is nothing less than this.  That is why today’s celebration is a continuity of the Solemnity of the Mother of God, which is clearly designed to underscore that Jesus is one Divine Person with a full human nature, distinct and unmixed.  Jesus is truly God and truly man in one person.  And this person is the Divine Word.  The baby Jesus is important to us not because He is simply a man but the Son of God.  Because of Him, we know the Father and share in His life.

St John reiterates, “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.”

Only then can we, with the psalmist, say we have seen the salvation of our God. “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.”

Consequently, we must ask ourselves, ‘who is Jesus to us’?  Is He still unknown to us, as in the time of Jesus when the Pharisees asked John the Baptist his identity?   Jesus is clearly the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.  “Now these men have 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 in Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.”

Only in believing in the divinity of Jesus can we know the Father and be given the Holy Spirit.  This is the anointing that St John spoke about.  Only the Holy Spirit can help us to remain in Jesus.  “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.”  Only the Holy Spirit can enlighten us with the grace of God.

Let us be like John the Baptist in being the light and witness of Christ in proclaiming the truth.  He could have cheated the people using his popularity.  But he did not confuse them and spoke the truth.  “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.’”  We too must found our faith in Him so that we can be a witness to the Lord.  Can we say that He is the one whom we have touched with our hands, and seen with our own eyes, and heard with our ears?

Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved