In today’s first reading, 1 Jn 4: 11-18, John says to us: “…as
he is, so are we in this world.” What, I
asked myself, could this possibly mean? As I reflected upon this phrase in prayer, I
asked Jesus to enlighten me. What came through the prayerful reflection was the
following:
“Jesus was God’s
Anointed One,” the Spirit said to me
in prayer. “You, too, have been anointed
in your baptism, anointed in the Spirit that enables you to accept the gifts of
salvation, of being freed from sin and set apart for a divine purpose. Like
Jesus, you are anointed to be Good News, proclaiming the Kingdom of God on
earth. You are in the world as my
ambassadors, as holy persons, to confront sin with goodness, weakness with
strength, deceit with honesty, fear with courage. As my Son is, so are you, one with God and
one another—a union of love by the Spirit’s anointing, by the reception of the
sacraments, by receiving the Eucharist, by immersing yourself in the
Scriptures. As my Son, so, too, you: you are endowed with the capacity to grow in
love, in forgiveness, in patience, and in hope to realize fully who you are in Christ
Jesus, my Son, your brother and Savior.
Lord, I believe that each of us is called to live in such a
way as to honor our anointing with the Spirit, that we have been set apart to
serve you, to be in the world but not of the world, to be imminent in
responding in love to those in need of love, understanding, compassion, forgiveness and
mercy, including ourselves. I believe that we are called to transcend, by the
power of the Spirit within us, the allurements of Satan whereby we are tempted
to live selfish lives, perpetuate injustices and embrace inauthentic freedoms,
deadening our consciousness of God. I believe that through the Spirit we are
empowered to say “No” to invitations to live godless lives and to say “yes” to centering our lives in You. “…as
he [Jesus] is, so, too, are we in the world” (1 Jn 4: 17).
What are your beliefs?
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