Saturday 30 December
6th day within the octave of Christmas First reading - 1 John 2:12-17 “anyone who does the will of God remains for ever”. St. John is explaining this. By our belief in God who incarnated something happens in us. ”I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and God’s word has made its home in you, and you have overcome the Evil One”. We became strong with the presence of God in us. The presence of God is the God’s Word that has made its home in us. And this presence helps us to overcome the Evil One. Only that we have prefer the love of the Father than love to the World. That is the way we let God’s word make it home in us. Let’s reflect: Do I prefer the love of the Father than the love to the world?
Friday 29 December
5th day within the octave of Christmas Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop, Martyr “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark”. This is the point of difference whether you hate or not! The moment you hate you are in darkness. The moment you start loving, you are in light. The hatred brings darkness to our life. The truth is that by incarnation the light is brought to the heart of each person. “… the night is over and the real light is already shining”, because the incarnation has brought light into the life of each person. This light in order to shine in our life, we must love each other. But by one reason or another we cannot love our brother, this light in us loses its essence being light. Let’s right: Am I darkening the light in me by hatred of any sort?
Thursday 28 December
The Holy Innocents, Martyrs - Feast First reading - 1 John 1:5-2:2 “God is light; there is no darkness in him at all”. This is the truth of God. We will be in light if we are living in God. The massacre of the Innocents happened because King Herod wanted to extinguish the light which is going to lighten the life of each person in the world. This light which Jesus brings into our life, is a light which illuminates the life with others. This light helps us to see the light in the other and you will not be afraid of that light because it’s the same light in you. And this light purifies our life as this is the light which the sacrifice of Christ brings to our life. This is the light which the blood of Jesus is bringing to our life. When we embrace this light, our selfishness is purified to see the light in the pure in its essence, the true reciprocal love. This is seeing the light with pure eyes and not eyes stained with selfishness. This is being in the true light. Let’s reflect: Am I able to see the light in the other with my pure eyes?
Wednesday 27 December
Saint John, Apostle, Evangelist First reading - 1 John 1:1-4 The Feast of St. John, Apostle, Evangelist, is so beautiful because he is one who transmitted the great message of Incarnation: “God is love” (1Jn 4:16). This great revelation, St. John discovered by being close to the Lord. As he writes in his letter, he heard with his ears, he saw with his eyes, he touched with his hands, the Word made visible. This is not an invention, not an imagination, but a reality, a truth. That life is made visible. This reality once known you cannot keep for yourself, you should proclaim. God became visible is a message which is to be transmitted to everyone because, that is way to make the joy of each one complete. Let’s reflect: Are we proclaiming enough that God is love?