January 9, 2021

Saturday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 217

Beloved:

We have this confidence in him

that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,

we know that what we have asked him for is ours.

If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,

he should pray to God and he will give him life.

This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.

There is such a thing as deadly sin,

about which I do not say that you should pray.

All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;

but the one begotten by God he protects,

and the Evil One cannot touch him.

We know that we belong to God,

and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.

We also know that the Son of God has come

and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.

And we are in the one who is true,

in his Son Jesus Christ.

He is the true God and eternal life.

Children, be on your guard against idols.

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

Sing to the LORD a new song

    of praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel be glad in their maker,

    let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,

    let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

For the LORD loves his people,

    and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

Let the faithful exult in glory;

    let them sing for joy upon their couches;

Let the high praises of God be in their throats.

    This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,

on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death

light has arisen.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,

where he spent some time with them baptizing.

John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,

because there was an abundance of water there,

and people came to be baptized,

for John had not yet been imprisoned.

Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew

about ceremonial washings.

So they came to John and said to him,

“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,

to whom you testified,

here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”

John answered and said,

“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.

You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,

but that I was sent before him.

The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;

the best man, who stands and listens for him,

rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.

So this joy of mine has been made complete.

He must increase; I must decrease.”

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What’s My Motto?

Opening Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are here with me in this moment of prayer, that you wish to be with me and you have graces that you are waiting to offer me. I trust in your faithfulness and open my heart to you. I love you, Lord. teach me to love you more! Holy Spirit, come and work in my heart in this time of prayer and in this day.

Encountering Christ:

1. New Grace: Here, John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, spoke as the bridge between the Old and New Covenants. He brought his interlocutors from the external ceremonial signs of the Old Covenant to the interior and effective sacraments of the New Covenant—namely, the efficacy of sanctifying grace. It is no longer about the external actions alone, he was telling us. Now there is a grace, a gratuitous gift of the indwelling of God, freely given, which makes those external actions effective. “No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven.” And how much God wishes to give himself! We see in the Trinity itself that this is who God is: Giver. God wishes to give himself to us if we will open our hearts and minds to his presence.

2. New Wedding Feast: As his mission drew to a close, John stepped out of the limelight so that the very one prefigured could reveal himself. In fact, he even sent his best disciples to follow Christ. “Behold the Lamb of God,” he said to John and Andrew (John 1:29). The image the Baptist chose was striking: Christ is the Bridegroom; John was just the best man—close to the groom, preparing everything for the wedding, but not the groom, the true Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. In these verses, John’s humility was on display. How edified we are to realize that the greatest man born of a woman (Matthew 11:11) was so very humble.

3. New Light: Not long after John preached these words, he was murdered by King Herod. But like a seed that falls to the ground and dies, he bore such great fruit that his story did not end in death. John taught us that even if living our vocation and mission in life leads through perplexing and even painful moments, God is always capable of bringing a greater light from the shadows. John had unwavering confidence in God and we, too, are called to trust God, even when the shadows in our life obscure the light.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your grace is real and effective, present and active in my life. I want to be receptive and open to your plan, as St. John the Baptist was. As I reflect on my life, are there any aspects today where you are inviting me to be open to grace? Open my heart. Grant me the humility to accept from you even what I don’t understand. I trust that if I keep my eyes on you and follow you, you will let your light shine through me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will try not to talk about myself to others or make myself the center of attention. I will try to let Christ increase and my pride decrease.

Today's Prayer

Praised be to You, Lord, because Your love wants to work wonders through our faith in You. Thank You for Your merciful power that restores us in body, soul and spirit. Amen.

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