John brags about Jesus than blowing his own trumpet

January 9, 2016

Saturday after Epiphany

Saint of the Day: Saints Julian and Basilissa, Martyrs (c. 313)

Reading 1

1 John 5:14-21

14Beloved: We have this confidence in Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked Him for is ours.

16If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. 17All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

18We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin; but the one begotten by God He protects, and the Evil One cannot touch him. 19We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.

20We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the One who is true. And we are in the One who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21Children, be on your guard against idols.[1]

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b 

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in His people.

or:

R. Alleluia. 

Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R. The Lord takes delight in His people.

or:

R. Alleluia. 

Let them praise His name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to Him with timbrel and harp. For the LORD loves His people, and He adorns the lowly with victory.

R. The Lord takes delight in His people.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; Let the high praises of God be in their throats. This is the glory of all His faithful. Alleluia.

R. The Lord takes delight in His people.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Matthew 4:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

John 3:22-30

22Jesus and His disciples went into the region of Judea, where He spent some time with them baptizing.[2] 23John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized,[3] 24for John had not yet been imprisoned.[4]

25Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings.[5]  26So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here He is baptizing and everyone is coming to Him.”

27John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before Him. 29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for Him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.[6] 30He must increase; I must decrease.” 

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Notes on Readings:

[1] 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. 

[2] John 3:22-26 - Jesus' ministry in Judea is only loosely connected with John 2:13  - 3:21; compare with John 1;19-36 . Perhaps John the Baptist's further testimony was transposed here to give meaning to "water" in John 3:5.  Jesus is depicted as baptizing (John 3:22); contrast John 4:2.

[3] John 3:23 - Aenon near Salim: site uncertain, either in the upper Jordan valley or in Samaria.

[4] John 3:24 - A remark probably intended to avoid objections based on a chronology like that of the synoptics (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14).

[5] John 3:25 - A Jew: some think Jesus is meant. Many manuscripts read "Jews."

[6] John 3:29 - The best man: literally, "the friend of the groom," the shoshben of Jewish tradition, who arranged the wedding. Competition between him and the groom would be unthinkable.