FIRST READING
A reading from the first Letter of Saint John (1 John 2:29-3:6)
Anyone who abides in him does not sin.
Beloved: If you know that God is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him. See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. Any one who abides in him does not sin; any one who sins has not seen him, nor has he known him.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 98:1.3cd-4.5-6 (R. 3cd)
R/. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
O sing a new song to the LORD,
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation. R/.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song,
and sing out your praise. R/.
Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn,
raise a shout before the King, the LORD. R/.
ALLELUIA John 1:14a.12ac
Alleluia. Alleluia. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. To all who received him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 1:29-34)
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptising with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven and remain on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptise with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptises with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
Purity is a basic requirement for winning God’s favour and attaining eternal life.Rev. 21:27 says that nothing impure will enter the kingdom of God. Today St John tells us that it is by hoping in God that we can achieve the desired purity: “everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Hoping in God means trusting him in all things and following him faithfully by doing what is right before him. And “whoever remains in him has no sin” (1 John 3:6). To remain pure, therefore, we must look up to Jesus and follow in His footsteps. John the Baptist pointed him out as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). His precious blood is our only hope of achieving that purity.