Saturday, January 11, 2020
First Reading: 1 Jn 5:14-21
Gospel Reading: Jn 3:22-30
After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings.
So 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.”
John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said (that) I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him.
The 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.
He must increase; I must decrease.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
While attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, “Why is the bride dressed in white?”
“Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life”, the mother explained. The child thought about this for a moment. Then the child asked, “So why is the groom wearing black?”
Marriage is such a happy event that John the Baptist used it to describe the joy of knowing that the Messiah already arrived.
John continued to experience this joy even though the coming of the Messiah meant the end of his office as herald. He even declared: “He must increase while I must decrease.”
If the joy of knowing Jesus is akin to the joy of marriage, why are there many followers of Christ who sport long faces like following Him is the biggest burden of their lives?
Why are there many who settle for fleeting happiness? Guilt erodes whatever satisfaction one experiences with sin. A minute so amusing, an eternity so confusing. Sweet seconds on the lip, an eternity to weep. Let us stop the aimless adventure and settle down. Let’s submit ourselves to Jesus.
John the Baptist’s submission to Christ was total, immediate and absolute. That’s why he was able to declare without hesitation: “He must increase while I must decrease.” He was able to commit himself totally to Christ because he found joy in being the “bride” of Christ. He even fulfilled this declaration to the letter when he was beheaded on orders of King Herod.
Let’s take it from John the Baptist. Being with Christ is the highest joy one can attain in this life. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., J.D., D.M.