January
8, 2016
Friday
after Epiphany
Reading 1
5Beloved:
Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is
the Son of God?[1] 6This 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.[2]
7So
there are three who testify, 8the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, and the
three are of one accord. 9If 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.
10Whoever
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.
11And
this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever
does not possess the Son of God does not have life.
13I
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.[3]
Responsorial Psalm
or:
R.
Alleluia.
12Glorify
the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. 13For He has strengthened the
bars of your gates; He has blessed your
children within you.
R.
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R.
Alleluia.
14He
has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat He fills you. 15He
sends forth His command to the earth; swiftly runs His word!
R.
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R.
Alleluia.
19He
has proclaimed His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 20He
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 Matthew 4:23
R.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus
proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.
R.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
12It
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.”[4]
13Jesus
stretched out His hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.”
And the leprosy left him immediately.
14Then 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.”[5]
15The
report about Him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to Him
and to be cured of their ailments, 16but He would withdraw to deserted places
to pray.
Notes on Readings:
[1] 1 John 5:1-5 - Children of God are
identified not only by their love for others (1 John 4:7-9) and for God (1 John 5:1-2) but by their belief in the divine Sonship of Jesus
Christ. Faith, the acceptance of Jesus in His true character and the obedience
in love to God's commands (1 John 5:3), is the source of the Christian's power in the world and
conquers the world of evil (1 John 5:4-5), even as Christ overcame the world (⇒John 16:33).
[2] 1 John 5:6-12 - Water and blood (1 John 5:6) refers to Christ's baptism (Matthew 3:16-17) and to the shedding of His blood on the cross (John 19:34). The Spirit was present at the baptism (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; , John 1:32, 34). The testimony to Christ as the Son of God is confirmed
by divine witness (1 John 5:7-9), greater by far than the two legally required human
witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6). To deny this is to deny God's truth; compare with John 8:17-18. The gist of the divine witness or testimony is that
eternal life (1 John 5:11-12) is given in Christ and nowhere else. To possess the Son
is not acceptance of a doctrine but of a person who lives now and provides
life.
[3] 1 John 5:13-21 - As children of God
we have confidence in prayer because of our intimate relationship with Him (1 John 5:14-15). In love, we pray (1 John 5:16-17) for those who are in sin, but not in deadly sin
(literally, "sin unto death"), probably referring to apostasy or
activities brought on under the antichrist; compare with Mark 3:29; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31. Even in the latter case, however, prayer, while not
enjoined, is not forbidden. The letter concludes with a summary of the themes
of the letter (1 John 5:18-20). There is a sharp antithesis between the children of God
and those belonging to the world and to the evil one. The Son reveals the God
of truth; Christians dwell in the true God, in His Son, and have eternal life.
The final verse (1 John 5:21) voices a perennial
warning about idols, any type of rival to God.
[5] Luke 5:14 - Show yourself to the
priest . . . what Moses prescribed: this is a reference to Leviticus 14:2-9 that gives
detailed instructions for the purification of one who had been a victim of
leprosy and thereby excluded from contact with others (see Leviticus 13:45-46, 49; Numbers 5:2-3. That will be proof for them: see the note on Matthew 8:4.
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Dear Humanity,
I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.
And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.
Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.