In today’s first reading, 1 John 5: 5-13, we are told that
those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are victorious over the world
and all its evil, its apathy, its denials, its prejudices and injustices. Those
who believe that there is One who saves us, guides us, protects us, directs us,
enlightens us, empowers us to do good and avoid evil experience the victory of
Jesus on the cross, where evil was destroyed. Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God seek His
counsel, depend upon Him to show them the Way, lead them to the Truth and restore
them to life when they are skirting death. Those who believe realize that
without God they are nothing, that all good has its source in God and that God alone leads us to Truth,
empowers us in the Truth and reconciles our differences, forgives us our
offenses, and leads us to seek forgiveness, God’s and that of those whom we
have offended.
“Whoever believes in the Son of God,” John further tells us,
“has this testimony (God’s testimony on behalf of His Son) within him[her]self….And
this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God
does not have life.” God has given us
eternal life and that eternal life exists in Jesus, who, John states, “ came through water and Blood,…not by water
alone, but by water and Blood.” You and I have come into this world through
the water in the womb, were reborn through the water and the Spirit in baptism, and restored to
life over and over again through the Blood of the Son of God poured out on the
cross and received in Holy Communion. All who eat of this bread and drink of this
wine that is consecrated at every Catholic Mass and becomes the Body and Blood
of Jesus have eternal life (John 6:24).
Lord, I believe! What about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment