Octave of Christmas
06th January 2024 (Saturday)
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 1 John 5:5-13
Beloved: Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he who came by water and blood-Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 (R. 12a)
R/. O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord! or Alleluia.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Mark 1:7-11
At that time: John preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: One who believes, overcomes!
Guidlines: God is life and He shares this life with us at our creation. He continues to give us His life by re-creating us through the mission and paschal mystery of His Son
1. God gives us eternal life and this life is in His Son. Whoever believes and abides in the Son will obtain this life. To give us this life, the Son shares our human life becoming one of us. The eternal God takes upon himself the temporary human flesh.
2. The incarnation of His only Son is an authentic indicative of God’s condescending love for us and His eternal plan of salvation. This is an essential tenet of faith to believe in: the Son of God has incarnated himself as Jesus of Nazareth in the human womb of the virgin Mary.
3. As John attests in the first reading, God Himself bears testimony to this truth. Wherever God steps in, it gets transformed. His sharing in our humanity is not a limitation or restriction on the infinitude of his divinity.
4. The very fact that he subjects himself to time and space is not an imperfection. Rather, it shows his perfection to make himself part of the imperfection without losing his intrinsic perfection. Therefore, humanity does not limit or take away the identity, power and sanctity of Jesus.
5. This is what is attested by both John the Baptist and the Father Himself in the gospel. John the Baptist declares that the power of Jesus is far-surpassing his because he is the eternal God. He pre-existed even before his earthly appearance.
6. Further, just because Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus is not inferior to him. John the Baptist baptizes with water but Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Still further, the Father bears testimony to Jesus at his baptism, confirming, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”.
7. This then is the whole content of our faith and testimony: God gives us eternal life through His only Son Jesus Christ. We can receive this through our faith in Jesus and faithfulness to this faith through bearing testimony to him.
Practice: We are destined for life in eternity. We have access to this through the incarnation of the Son of God. And we will possess this life when we believe him and live in him
