January 5, 2013

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

Reading 1 1 Jn 3:11-21

Beloved:
This is the message you have heard from the beginning:
we should love one another,
unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil One
and slaughtered his brother.
Why did he slaughter him?
Because his own works were evil,
and those of his brother righteous.
Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life
because we love our brothers.
Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

R. (2a) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
The LORD is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Gospel Jn 1:43-51

Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip.
And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see the sky opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Saturday, January 5, 2013 >>

St. John Neumann

1 John 3:11-21
View Readings

Psalm 100:1-5

John 1:43-51

MIRACLE OF MIRACLES

"That we have passed from death to life we know because we love the brothers. The man who does not love is among the living dead." —1 John 3:14

Throughout Advent, the Lord through His word has promised us a miraculous Christmas. The blind would see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dumb speak. Many of us may not have experienced such dramatic miracles this Christmas season.

Nonetheless, there's another miracle that is even more dramatic and more important: the miracle of unconditional love, love for enemies, love for the unlovable. This is the ultimate miracle of the Christian life and of Christmas. When we are willing to lay down our lives in love (1 Jn 3:16) for prejudiced individuals, traitors like Judas, and murderers like Hitler, we truly have received the miracle of Christmas, Calvary, and Christ. This proves we are sons and daughters of the heavenly Father (Mt 5:45) and proves we have had the real Christmas, because no one but the Father's children can forgive and love the unlovable.

Think of your enemy or the person that has hurt you the most. Ask the Lord for His crucified love for that person to flow through you. Open your Christmas present of unconditional love.

Prayer: Jesus, may I respond to hate with love as You do.

Promise: "I solemnly assure you, you shall see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." —Jn 1:51

Praise: In his eight years as Bishop of Philadelphia, St. John increased the attendance at diocesan Catholic Schools twenty-fold.

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