Breaking the Word

Twelfth day of Christmas, Friday – 05^th January 2024 – 1 John 3,11-21; John 1,43-51

Inclusive Christian Love

In the first reading, John returns to the off-repeated centrality of Christian message of love for one another. Jesus gave this as a new commandment first time in John 13,34-35 and repeated it in John 15,12.17. Paul mentions its importance in Rom 12,10 and 1 Thess 4,9. Peter notes believers are to “love one another” in 1 Peter 1,22. John alone gives more emphasis and develops this theme repeatedly in his letters (1 John 3,11.23; 4,7.11.12 and 2 John 1,5). He highlights the need to love our brothers and sisters, not just as our blood relatives, but include everyone as our sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus. And so, we are not to follow the example of Cain who killed his brother simply out of jealousy and spite. Yet, we should not be least surprised if the world, that is, the world of sin and self-centeredness, hates us and wants to harm us. Of course, it is happening all the time. As loving Christians, we need to love in return and it should be our natural reaction for hatred. But the example of Cain is still to be found everywhere – even inside the Church at times. People are hated so often, not because they are bad, but because they are good. Let us strive for follow the great teaching of Apostle Paul, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12,21).

Eleventh day of Christmas, Thursday – 04^th January 2023 – 1 John 3,7-10; John 1,35-42

Being Born of God

In the first reading, John reminds us that Jesus has come to destroy sin and the works of the devil. As God’s children we are expected to reflect His characteristics to some degree and we must break with sin.  The emphasis here is, “No one who is born of God practices sin … he cannot practice sin because he is born of God.” John enunciates in his first letter the basic theme of believers being ‘Born of God’ (1 John 2,29; 3,9; 4,7; 5,1.4.18). To practice sin is to sin consistently and as a way of life. It is clear that no Christian is sinless (1 John 1,8-10). Though believers continue to sin, yet they will be changed more into the likeness of Christ. The emphasis is not on perfection but likeness. God lives in the believer and the believer can therefore no longer live the same life as prior to becoming God’s child. Some biblical personalities had sinned one time or another. Abraham lied about his wife (Gen 12,10-20). Moses lost his temper and disobeyed God (Num 20,7-13). Peter denied the Lord three times (Mt 26,69-75). But sin was not the habitual practice of these men. And when they sinned, they admitted it and asked God to forgive them. A true believer cannot help but live differently because God lives within them. An unchanged person is not a true believer.