20220108 ALLOWING CHRIST TO GROW IN US
08 January, 2022, Saturday After Epiphany
First reading | 1 John 5:14-21 © |
If we ask for anything, he will hear us
We are quite confident that if we ask the Son of God for anything,
and it is in accordance with his will,
he will hear us;
and, knowing that whatever we may ask, he hears us,
we know that we have already been granted what we asked of him.
If anybody sees his brother commit a sin
that is not a deadly sin,
he has only to pray, and God will give life to the sinner
– not those who commit a deadly sin;
for there is a sin that is death,
and I will not say that you must pray about that.
Every kind of wrong-doing is sin,
but not all sin is deadly.
We know that anyone who has been begotten by God
does not sin,
because the begotten Son of God protects him,
and the Evil One does not touch him.
We know that we belong to God,
but the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One.
We know, too, that the Son of God has come,
and has given us the power
to know the true God.
We are in the true God,
as we are in his Son, Jesus Christ.
This is the true God,
this is eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against false gods.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 149:1-6,9 © |
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips:
this honour is for all his faithful.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Lk7:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 3:22-30 © |
'He must grow greater and I must grow smaller: my joy is complete'
Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised. At the same time John was baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptised. This was before John had been put in prison.
Now some of John’s disciples had opened a discussion with a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, ‘Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now; and everyone is going to him.’
John replied:
‘A man can lay claim
only to what is given him from heaven.
‘You yourselves can bear me out: I said: I myself am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent in front of him.
‘The bride is only for the bridegroom;
and yet the bridegroom’s friend,
who stands there and listens,
is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.
This same joy I feel, and now it is complete.
He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.’
ALLOWING CHRIST TO GROW IN US
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 JOHN 5:14-21; PSALM 149:1-6,9; JOHN 3:22-30]
Tomorrow, we will celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. The Lord would have been thirty years old, all ready to begin His public ministry. What about us? Have we allowed the Lord to grow in us since we were baptized as a little child, or even for those of us who were baptized as adults? After being a Catholic for so many years, can we say that our faith has grown like our Lord, ready not just for personal witnessing but for public testimony to our Lord? Or are we still infants in our faith, not just in knowledge but in Christian living?
Worse still, some of us not only do not witness to the faith but are counter-witnesses. This is what St John in the second reading cautioned us. “Every kind of wrong-doing is sin, but not all sin is deadly. We know that anyone who has been begotten by God does not sin, because the begotten Son of God protects him, and the Evil One does not touch him.” We need to grow in holiness. Even if the sins we committed are not deadly, that is, mortal or very serious, we still need to examine ourselves seriously to see whether we are growing in perfection and holiness. We cannot be complacent and allow venial or small sins to grow slowly until they become too difficult to get rid of. We must deal with the small sins by examining ourselves daily so that we become more conscious of our attitudes, reactions and Christian response to situations. St Peter said, “Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.” (1 Pt 2:1) St John warns us, “Children, be on your guard against false gods.”
Often, many reject Christ not because He was not a good man or a great teacher but because His disciples did not reflect His love and His compassion in their way of life. When we are Christians, people tend to measure us differently and expect us to be more just, more compassionate, more caring, more generous and more giving than those who are not. This is understandable because we claim that Christ is our Saviour and that we have become sons and daughters in Him. Since we claim to be the light and salt of the earth following our master, people expect us not just to talk but to do as well. More so if one is a religious leader or a church leader. Many are scandalized by the conduct and behaviour of some church leaders, especially when they lack compassion, forgiveness and charity. They find it difficult to reconcile what they preach and what they do.
This is why it is so necessary to pray, to be alert before it becomes too late, when one becomes completely numbed to sin, going from complacency to indifference and hostility against the Church. St John says, “If anybody sees his brother commit a sin that is not a deadly sin, he has only to pray, and God will give life to the sinner – not those who commit a deadly sin; for there is a sin that is death, and I will not say that you must pray about that.” The reason why we cannot pray effectively for such a sinner deep in sin is because he has cut himself completely from the grace of God. This is the sin of blasphemy, as the Lord warned us. Jesus made it clear, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Mt 12:30-32) It is not because God will not forgive but the sinner who is so steeped in sin does not want forgiveness, neither does he want to be reconciled with God. He would have made himself God. So before a person falls into mortal sin and becomes numbed to what is sin, that person must develop his prayer life, go for regular sacrament of reconciliation, receive the Eucharist and read the scriptures daily so that his conscience remains sensitive to correction and change. Prayer, reading the Word of God and sacraments will help a person to stay united with the Lord even when he has sinned out of weakness.
St Peter urges us, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pt 1:2-5) We need to come to Christ, that cornerstone, so that our faith will remain strong and our Christian life will exhibit holiness and integrity of life. When we grow in our knowledge of the Word of God and in union with the Lord in mind and heart, we become more like Him. St John says, “We know that we belong to God, but the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One. We know, too, that the Son of God has come, and has given us the power to know the true God. We are in the true God, as we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, this is eternal life.”
In the gospel, we have the shining example of John the Baptist. He was a true prophet of the Lord, not just in his preaching of the Word, which he did without mincing his words or compromising the truth of the gospel even when his life was threatened by those who were powerful, but he had no fear of man except God alone. He spoke from the depths of his heart with conviction. But more than his words alone, it was his austere life in the wilderness, living a life of simplicity and contemplation on the Word of God that gave him such power and efficacy in proclaiming the Word of God. He was able to draw many into the desert to listen to him. Even tax-collectors, soldiers and King Herod were keen to listen to what he had to say. Clearly, he was a forerunner of our Lord, preparing the hearts of the people to welcome the Saviour.
Yet, this was a man who was so confident and so aware of himself and his mission that he did not feel threatened by anyone, not even his cousin, our Lord Jesus Christ. When some tried to provoke him into jealousy by reporting to him that “the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now; and everyone is going to him” John the Baptist was unshaken. There was no guile in him, no jealousy, no fear. He said, “You yourselves can bear me out: I said: I myself am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent in front of him.” On the contrary, he was happy because it meant that his work was coming to an end. His reply was, “A man can lay claim only to what is given him from heaven.” He knew God, he knew his calling as a forerunner of the Messiah, he knew his task was to prepare the way for the Messiah to come. Once He came, he knew his work was almost done. He was contented to disappear from the scene because he recognized that a prophet is chosen and anointed by God. One does not appoint himself to be a prophet. A true prophet responds to the call of God and acts accordingly.
Hence, when he asked the Lord whilst in prison waiting his martyrdom, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus told John’s disciples to assure their master, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” (Mt 11:3-6) Indeed, Jesus showed Himself to be the one chosen and anointed by God to be the Messiah. John aptly said of Jesus, “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” (Jn 1:18)
Consequently, if we want to be like John the Baptist, a true witness of Christ, we must be like him in living out our vocation faithfully. He said, “The bride is only for the bridegroom; and yet the bridegroom’s friend, who stands there and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This same joy I feel, and now it is complete. He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.” We must be like John the Baptist, happy to know that we have brought others to Christ by our words and actions. Our great joy is to be the bridegroom’s friend, and hearing His voice should make us feel complete. To know that we have done our part in helping the Church, the bride to deepen her love for the Lord, the bridegroom is our greatest joy. Indeed, the Lord must grow greater and greater and we grow smaller. Once our job is done, we can depart in peace to be with Him in heaven for ever.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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