First Reading - 1 John 2:18-21
Gospel - John 1:1-18
The First Reading from 1 John is strikingly honest. The writer speaks of a moment of testing, a time when false voices arise and attempt to draw believers away from what they first received. What protects the community is not clever argument or fear, but relationship. They have been anointed by the Holy One. They know the truth because they have remained in it. The message is clear: deception thrives when people forget who they belong to. Faith is preserved not by chasing every new claim, but by staying rooted in Christ.
This is deeply relatable. Many people today feel unsettled because they are constantly reacting—reacting to news, opinions, trends, and pressures. The reading reminds us that stability comes from remembering what we have received, not from constantly reinventing ourselves. Truth is not something we manufacture; it is something we abide in.
The Gospel from John takes us back to the very beginning. Before confusion, before division, before darkness, there is the Word. This Word is not distant or abstract. The Word is with God, the Word is God, and the Word becomes flesh. Light enters the world not as an argument, but as a person. Darkness is real, but it does not have the final word. The light shines, and it continues to shine.
What makes this Gospel so powerful is its insistence that God chooses nearness. The Word does not shout from heaven; the Word dwells among us. God is not content to remain an idea to be debated. God enters human life so that truth can be seen, touched, and lived. In Jesus, grace and truth are no longer concepts; they are a presence.
Dear friends, when the world feels confusing, we are not asked to master every question. We are asked to remain faithful. When voices compete for our loyalty, we are invited to stay close to the light we have already received. Truth is recognized not by anxiety, but by familiarity. Like a trusted voice, it resonates because we have lived with it.
Remaining in the truth means choosing honesty over convenience, faithfulness over popularity, love over fear. It means allowing Christ to shape our decisions, our speech, and our relationships. It also means resisting the temptation to harden our hearts or withdraw in suspicion. The light does not push us into isolation; it draws us into deeper communion.
The good news is this: we are not left alone to navigate the darkness. The Word has come. The light is already shining. And those who remain in Christ do not lose their way, even when the world feels uncertain.
The invitation today is simple and demanding. Stay rooted. Stay close. Trust the light you have received. When we remain in the Word made flesh, truth becomes more than something we defend—it becomes something we live. And in living it, we discover that the darkness does not overcome the light.
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