💖 HOMILY - DECEMBER 31 💖

First Reading - 1 John 2:18-21

Gospel - John 1:1-18

Today is the last day of the year. This year has been indeed replete with many experiences of ups and downs of our lives. At this juncture, the readings of today invite us to look into our past year with the perspective of faith. We can evaluate it by answer the question; have we been able to grow firm in our faith and our relationship with God?

In the first reading, John speaks about the 'Antichrist' as those who have deserted the community and their faith in Jesus Christ. It was believed that towards the end, the 'Antichrist' would appear to deviate people and John firmly establishes this fact by terming the false prophets or heretics as the 'Antichrist'. On the one hand, John warns the believers against such 'Antichrist' or heretics or false teachers/prophets. On the other hand, he encourages the believers that they have been anointed by the Holy One to know the difference between the truth and lie. He also further encourages the believers (members of the community) saying that they are obviously standing firm in the truth about the knowledge of Jesus Christ and they should continue to do so.

The gospel of today presents the prologue from the gospel of St. John. The prologue of John has soaring theological implications and meanings. John, in his prologue, affirms that Jesus is a divine person who is from the eternity in existence. This divine person has become a man to lead us to the truth of salvation. However, it's not all who have accepted or recieved him but those who have accepted him have received grace and truth in him to be saved. John furthermore highlights that people misunderstood John the Baptist as the Messiah but he clarified it that he is not. Many people also didn't recognise the true Messiah in Jesus and missed to recieve the grace of salvation in him.

Dear friends, as we are at the threshold of a new year, we are invited today to introspect - Have we been able to recognise the Messiah in Jesus, the one who saves and directs our lives? Have we been able to draw grace from Him who comes to give us grace upon grace? We know that we have been faithful to Jesus and his teachings but at times we also took many things for granted. It's time to take a new resolution to remain firm in our imitation of Jesus.

The first reading reminds us that we are anointed by the Holy One and are given grace to know the truth and identify the lie. The world, in which we live, is glamorous and fascinating but at the same time deceiving and beguiling. There are times when we are deceived and cheated by the fascination of the world, let's believe in the gift of grace we have received from God and stand firm in the truth we have accepted in Jesus and this will help us become strong in faith and understand this passing glamour of the world. There are many false prophets today who are deviating us from the truth. Let's take the teachings of Jesus as our strong weapons to combat the evil forces of the world.