Today’s first reading,, 1 John 3: 7-10, gives a clear description of those who choose
good, following Jesus’ example and those
who choose evil, following and being deceived by Satan, the Father of Lies: “Children,
let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just
as he {Jesus] is righteous. Whoever sins belongs to the Devil, because the
Devil has sinned from the beginning. Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to
destroy the works of the Devil. No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because
God’s seed remains in him [or her]….[N]o one who fails to act in righteousness
belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his [or her] brother [or sister].”
Those are strong words and could be very confusing. All of us sin! Does that mean that all of us belong
to the Devil? We need to read further,
realizing that “the Son of God was
revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.”
By our baptism, we have become children of God, begotten by God.
Through our baptism we belong to Jesus and through our baptism and the other
sacraments, the works of the Devil in us have been destroyed and the seeds of
holiness planted. Therefore, within us
is the power to grow in holiness, in goodness, and in grace. We are not doomed to be slaves of Satan, to
act dishonestly, unjustly, or immorally nor out of hatred, prejudice, or bigotry.
No! We will, through grace and in Christ
Jesus, become free of sin, free of Satan, free to act justly, honestly, and
morally and to love tenderly (cf. Micah 6:8). Through the overpowering of the
Holy Spirit in baptism and confirmation and any other sacrament, Jesus in given
birth in us. Through this birth, by
Jesus dwelling within us, by our faith in Christ Jesus, sin has no more power
over us. Hatred, bigotry, prejudice,
greediness, slothfulness, deceitfulness, or other immorality within us is deprived of its power by God’s Presence.
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