Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

LECTIONARY
205

FIRST READING

1 JN 2:22-28

Beloved:
Who is the liar?
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.

And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

PSALM

PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4

Response: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

GOSPEL

JN 1:19-28

This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, "Who are you?"
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
"I am not the Christ."
So they asked him,
"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
And he said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
So they said to him,
"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'Make straight the way of the Lord,'
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

Daily Reflection

Today’s readings are about identity and mission. The contemporaries of John the Baptist were keen to know whether he was the “Christ”, the Anointed One—a title that he stoutly rejected, as we see in today’s Gospel. The first reading, on the other hand, warns against those who could not subsequently recognize Jesus as the Christ. The reading is an exhortation to be firm in faith and not to be led astray, for those who share in the anointing of this Christ, the Messiah.

John the Baptist is clear about his identity and mission. His baptism is efficacious, but is not as complete as the baptism that Jesus will administer. Jesus too is clear about his own identity and mission: to be the loving face of his Father for a world in need of redemption, and to confer upon all the power of the Spirit.

A common identity we share is that of being children of God, our loving Father. May we also live out our common mission: to renew the face of the earth by the power of His Spirit.