Daily Reading for Tuesday, December 31st, 2013

"He was not the light, he was to bear witness to the light." As disciples of Christ, how do we bear witness to the light? Most of the Christians I know, Catholics or otherwise, think that bearing witness is "preaching" and "telling" others what they are supposed to do. I hope they realize it isn't as effective as simply being there and living their faith so it illuminates in the lives of others. Sometimes too much preaching seems to be making one look like they are better than the others. 

As this year closes to an end, it is my prayer for everyone reading this blog to be able to see more deeply the mystery of salvation in the things that they see around them, the meaning in every breath, in every sunrise, in every rain drop ... even in summer and the little bit of drought that it sometimes brings, in everything that the coming year will bring our way. Christ was here long before we were here, surely he too has experienced all these seasons, all these darkness and light that creation and yes, life, that it has required. It gives me great comfort in times less happier times, that my reason for being here is I have to fulfill a mission. 

Just like John, I have to bear witness to the light. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 

Reading 1, First John 2:18-21

¹⁸ Children, this is the final hour; you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and now many Antichrists have already come; from this we know that it is the final hour.

¹⁹ They have gone from among us, but they never really belonged to us; if they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us. But this was to prove that not one of them belonged to us.

²⁰ But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and have all received knowledge.

²¹ I have written to you not because you are ignorant of the truth, but because you are well aware of it, and because no lie can come from the truth.

---

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 96:1-2, 11-12, 13

¹ Sing a new song to Yahweh! Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!

² Sing to Yahweh, bless his name! Proclaim his salvation day after day,

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad! Let the sea thunder, and all it holds!

¹² Let the countryside exult, and all that is in it, and all the trees of the forest cry out for joy,

¹³ at Yahweh's approach, for he is coming, coming to judge the earth; he will judge the world with saving justice, and the nations with constancy.

---

Gospel, John 1:1-18

¹ In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God.

² He was with God in the beginning.

³ Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him.

⁴ What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men;

⁵ and light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it.

⁶ A man came, sent by God. His name was John.

⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that everyone might believe through him.

⁸ He was not the light, he was to bear witness to the light.

⁹ The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world that had come into being through him, and the world did not recognise him.

¹¹ He came to his own and his own people did not accept him.

¹² But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in his name

¹³ who were born not from human stock or human desire or human will but from Godhimself.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ John witnesses to him. He proclaims: 'This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me has passed ahead of me because he existed before me.'

¹⁶ Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received -- one gift replacing another,

¹⁷ for the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.