Mass Readings and Meditations “The Word Among Us” Saturday, 11 January
2014
Meditation: John 3: Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean
countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. 23 John also
was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people
kept coming and were being baptized 24 —John, of course, had not yet been
thrown into prison.
25 Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s
disciples and a Jew.[a] 26 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 all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “No one can receive
anything except what has been given from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my
witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,[b] but I have been sent ahead of
him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom,
who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this
reason my joy has been fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”[c]
Footnotes:
a. John 3:25 Other ancient authorities read the Jews
b. John 3:28 Or the Christ
c. John 3:30 Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues
through verse 36
Christmas Weekday
He … rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. (John 3:29)
There is a story about St. Francis de Sales’ conversation with
the mayor of his town. “You know, Bishop Francis,” said the mayor, “I have so
much to do that I just can’t spend an hour in prayer.” Francis responded,
“Anyone as busy as you are needs two hours of prayer!”
For some reason, the mayor looked on prayer as a burden, another
weighty obligation to be added to his already packed schedule. But John the
Baptist had a different approach. During his years in the wilderness, he
discovered that prayer was not a matter of sitting still while God recounted
his failings and issued heartless commands. No, John discovered that prayer was
a matter of listening for “the bridegroom’s voice” and finding great joy when
he heard it (John 3:29).
John is often presented in movies as a fiery, ill-tempered
prophet who liked nothing better than castigating the people who came to him.
But today’s Gospel reading shows us a different picture. Here is a man of great
passion but also of great humility—a man who was eager to finally meet the
Messiah and then stand aside so that Jesus could take center stage. He had seen
the Lord, and that was enough for him. His joy was complete.
John tells us that God’s voice—the voice that we all long to
hear—is the voice of a smiling, exuberant bridegroom on his wedding day. It’s a
voice filled with eagerness, longing to whisper words of love to his bride.
It’s a voice of hope and love, a voice of tenderness and yearning, a voice that
brings hope and joy whenever it speaks.
As we listen for the voice of Jesus in prayer, there will be
times when we will hear words of direction, words of comfort, words of wisdom,
and even words of correction. But no matter what he hear, the words will always
be spoken in a voice of love, acceptance, and friendship.
So take the time today to pray. Quiet your heart. Open your
Scriptures. And listen closely. Jesus has something he wants to say to you.
“Here I am, Lord, ready to hear your voice. Let your words of
truth and love awaken my heart so that I can follow you wherever you lead.”
Amen!
1 John 5: 14 And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask
anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us
in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. 16
If you see your brother or sister[a] committing what is not a mortal sin, you
will ask, and God[b] will give life to such a one—to those whose sin is not
mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say that you should pray about
that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal.
18 We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the
one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. 19
We know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the
power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given
us understanding so that we may know him who is true;[c] and we are in him who
is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.[d]
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 5:16 Gk your brother
b. 1 John 5:16 Gk he
c. 1 John 5:20 Other ancient authorities read know the true God
d. 1 John 5:21 Other ancient authorities add Amen
Psalm 149: Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel
1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the
assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
let the children of
Zion rejoice in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him
with tambourine and lyre.
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble
with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy
on their couches.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords
in their hands,
9 to execute on them the judgment decreed.
This is glory for all
his faithful ones.
Praise the Lord!
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