January 2, 2019 Wednesday Before Epiphany
Reading: 1 Jn 2:22–28
Gospel: Jn 1:19–28
This was the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” John recognized the truth and did not deny it. He said, “I am not the Messiah.”And they asked him, “Then who are you? Elijah?” He answered, “I am not.” They said, “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Tell us who you are, so that we can give some answer to those who sent us. How do you see yourself?” And John said, quoting the prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord.”Those who had been sent were Pharisees; so they put a further question to John: “Then why are you baptizing if you are not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?” John answered, “I baptize you with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know; although he comes after me, I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.”This happened in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
D@iGITAL EXPERIENCE
D@iLY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE EXPERIENCE
“Nature”, wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his work entitled Emile, “never deceives us; it is always we who deceive ourselves.” John the Baptist could have deceived himself by aligning his bearings with the public opinion that he was the Messiah. But John remained true to his nature. He knew he was only a herald. Thus, to the people who took him for a Messiah he declared that he was just the voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”
Today’s Gospel is a timely reminder to people serving God to cultivate healthy self-image. One who forgets he is only a steward of God’s gifts will eclipse God by behaving like one. Good if he can really act like God in His cardinal attributes of love and justice. The tendency of people who usurp God’s position is more towards assumption of absolute powers, and exacting justice from others never from themselves.
We too are heralds of God because by performing the mandate to take care of creation we announce God’s existence. By being answered prayers to others we prepare their hearts to sing songs of thanksgiving to the Lord. Imagine the damage we cause to God’s harvest if, bereft of a healthy self-image, we behave like we are God. The sufferings we inflict will mislead our fellowmen into thinking that God is either non-existent or is an absent deity. That’s one kind of deception exceeding the cunning of the deceiver. It is repugnant to nature because God is and will be forever without end. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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