Scripture for January 3, 2007. Wed. before Epiphany

Scripture: I John 2:29-3:6. Psalm 98:1-6. John 1:29-34...

Scripture scholars have found a revelatory formula within the Gospel of
John. It occurs whenever there is the expression, Look or Behold. Then
someone like John the Baptist points out to the person or object and and
makes a pronouncement about him or it. In the selection above from John
1:29-34 we have the first example of this in John. The Baptist looks up
and points to Jesus and says, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world." Then John keeps revealing things about Jesus and says
that Jesus will baptize not with water but with the Spirit or authority of
God. We learn this from the first reading too, but without a revelatory
formula such as we have in the Gospel. The text from I John says, "The
reason he revealed himself was to take away sins." Soon we will be reading
or hearing another favored text of John, "For God so loved the world that
he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life." (John 3:16). So we have John the Baptist revealing who
Jesus is, then Jesus himself, and finally the sacred inspired text of John
3:16. No wonder then that once we are freed from sin through our baptism
and then we are called children of God. Paul says we are adopted
(Galatians 4:4-5) but John declares we are really children of the family of
God. I like that better than Pauline "adoption." The realities of life
that Jesus lived out for all of us touch our hearts and souls and remove
from them the traces of sin. We are saved by the Lord through his Paschal
Mysteries which are revealed to us through the Scriptures and experienced
by us in the sacraments. I John goes on to say, "what we shall later be
has not yet come to life." Wow! There is more to it than being sons and
daughters of God; now that is Good News! Today I pray that all of us may
be able to fathom what God is doing for us through the love of Jesus and
his saving acts and words. We are a holy people, a nation consecrated to
God, and a gathering of holy priests in Christ Jesus. This happened to us
when we were baptized in the holy name of Jesus, in the Spirit, and by God
the Father and Creator of all life. Oh, God, deepen our faith this day."
Amen.