Reading 1 1 Jn 5:5-13
Beloved:
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and Blood.
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
So there are three who testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood,
and the three are of one accord.
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.
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.
I write these things to you so that you may know
that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and Blood.
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
So there are three who testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood,
and the three are of one accord.
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.
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.
I write these things to you so that you may know
that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia See Mt 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 5:12-16
It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
And the leprosy left him immediately.
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.
REFLECTION
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
And the leprosy left him immediately.
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.
MAKING GOD A LIAR?
"Whoever does not believe God has made God a liar by refusing to believe in the testimony He has given on His own Son's behalf." –1 John 5:10
Two of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity have given Their testimony about the third Person, Jesus. The Holy Spirit has testified to Jesus, that Jesus Christ came through water and blood, and not in water only (1 Jn 5:6). "It is the Spirit Who testifies to this, and the Spirit is Truth" (1 Jn 5:6). The Father has likewise testified to Jesus, "on His own Son's behalf" (1 Jn 5:9) and "the testimony is this: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (1 Jn 5:11).
The three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are almighty and cannot be contained by the universe. Yet They placed such a high priority on gaining the love of each human being that They took the incomprehensible action of subjecting Themselves to the critical judgment of each human heart. St. Paul writes that "God must be proved true even though every man be proved a liar, so that, as Scripture says, 'You shall be vindicated in what You say, and win out when You are judged' " (Rm 3:4). We humans are at great risk if we do not pay attention to God's integrated, truthful testimony about Jesus. God has given us the awesome gift of our free will, so we have the ability to reject God. Of course, we have also been given the power to freely choose to believe and love God.
We can choose to be God's witnesses and offer testimony to help others to accept God. We can also choose to be "anti-witnesses" and influence others to reject God. In the court of human hearts, are you making God trustworthy or making God a liar?
PRAYER: Lord, may my life-style never influence people to choose to exchange "the truth of God for a lie" (Rm 1:25). PROMISE: "Great crowds gathered to hear Him and to be cured of their maladies." –Lk 5:15 PRAISE: Deeply drawn by Jesus, Siva converted from Buddhism to Christianity.
Two of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity have given Their testimony about the third Person, Jesus. The Holy Spirit has testified to Jesus, that Jesus Christ came through water and blood, and not in water only (1 Jn 5:6). "It is the Spirit Who testifies to this, and the Spirit is Truth" (1 Jn 5:6). The Father has likewise testified to Jesus, "on His own Son's behalf" (1 Jn 5:9) and "the testimony is this: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (1 Jn 5:11).
The three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are almighty and cannot be contained by the universe. Yet They placed such a high priority on gaining the love of each human being that They took the incomprehensible action of subjecting Themselves to the critical judgment of each human heart. St. Paul writes that "God must be proved true even though every man be proved a liar, so that, as Scripture says, 'You shall be vindicated in what You say, and win out when You are judged' " (Rm 3:4). We humans are at great risk if we do not pay attention to God's integrated, truthful testimony about Jesus. God has given us the awesome gift of our free will, so we have the ability to reject God. Of course, we have also been given the power to freely choose to believe and love God.
We can choose to be God's witnesses and offer testimony to help others to accept God. We can also choose to be "anti-witnesses" and influence others to reject God. In the court of human hearts, are you making God trustworthy or making God a liar?
| PRAYER: | Lord, may my life-style never influence people to choose to exchange "the truth of God for a lie" (Rm 1:25). |
| PROMISE: | "Great crowds gathered to hear Him and to be cured of their maladies." –Lk 5:15 |
| PRAISE: | Deeply drawn by Jesus, Siva converted from Buddhism to Christianity. |
No comments:
Post a Comment