First Reading (1 John 2,29-3,6).
Reading of the First Letter of Saint John.
Dear friends, since you know that he is just, know also that everyone who practices justice was born of him. See what a great gift of love the Father gave us: to be called children of God! And we are! If the world does not know us, it is because it has not known the Father. Dear friends, we are already children of God, but it has not even been revealed what we will be! We know that when Jesus appears, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. Everyone who hopes in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin also commits iniquity, because sin is iniquity. You know that he was manifested to take away sins and that in him there is no sin. Everyone who sins shows that they neither saw him nor knew him.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (John 1,29-34).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John.
— Glory to you, Lord.
The next day John saw Jesus approaching him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Of him I said, ‘After me comes a man who has gone before me, because he was before I also did not know him, but if I came to baptize with water, it was so that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained upon him. I also did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit’. I have seen and bear witness: This is the Son of God!”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” This powerful statement from John the Baptist resonates through the centuries to us today. It is a moment of divine recognition, an instant of revelation that would forever change the history of humanity.
Our first reading, from John’s first letter, presents us with a fundamental truth: “Everyone who practices righteousness is born of God.” What an extraordinary statement! John is telling us that our connection with God is not just a matter of intellectual belief, but manifests itself in concrete actions of justice and righteousness.
But João goes further. He reminds us of God’s incomprehensible love: “See what great love the Father has given us, so that we should be called children of God – and we are!” Stop for a moment and let this truth sink into your hearts. We are not just creatures of God, we are not just servants – we are beloved children!
This divine sonship is not a pretty metaphor or an empty honorific. It is a transformative reality that must shape our entire existence. As children of God, we are called to a life of holiness, to a continuous process of transformation. “Whoever remains in Him does not continue to sin,” John tells us.
And this is where our Gospel connects beautifully with this message. John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching and recognizes him not just as another prophet or teacher, but as the “Lamb of God.” This identification is deeply significant. In the Jewish context, the lamb was the animal of the Passover sacrifice, a symbol of liberation and redemption.
John testifies: “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained upon him.” This is the same Spirit that allows us to live as children of God, that empowers us for the life of righteousness and holiness that John describes in his letter.
But what does it mean for us today to be children of God in a world that often seems so far from Him? How do we live this reality amid the challenges and temptations of our time?
First, we must recognize our identity. Just as Jesus was publicly identified as the beloved Son of God, we too must embrace our identity as children of God. This means living with the dignity and responsibility that this membership implies.
Second, we are called to a life of continuous transformation. John tells us that “when he appears, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is.” This is our hope and our goal – to become more and more like Christ.
Third, we must live a life of practical righteousness. Our divine sonship must manifest itself in concrete actions of love, compassion and justice. We cannot be content to call God Father if we do not live as His children.
Let us imagine for a moment what our community would be like if each of us fully lived our identity as children of God. How different our families, our workplaces, our schools would be! How transformative our presence in the world would be!
John the Baptist fulfilled his mission by pointing out Jesus as the Lamb of God. Our mission today is similar – through our lives, we must point to Christ, the only one who can truly take away the sin of the world.
May we, as beloved children of God, live in a manner worthy of our calling. May the Holy Spirit, who descended upon Jesus like a dove, continue to guide and transform us. And may our lives be a living testimony of God’s transforming love in a world that so needs hope and redemption.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
