Who is the liar?

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's Gospel, John the Baptist testified not about himself but about our Lord and Savior Christ, who comes to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. A few months ago, a Satanic group was leading an "unbaptizing" ceremony for those who no longer wanted to be counted as part of the Body of Christ. However, what they fail to understand is that those of us who are baptized in the Catholic Church receive an anointing on their soul is an "anointing that [we] received from him remains in [us]." It is an inedible mark on our soul that cannot be erased or undo because when we are baptize, we belong to God and made part of the Body of Christ.

Saint John tells us quite bluntly in today's first reading: "Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.  Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist." Therefore, we pray for those who received the gift of baptism but then choose to reject God, because they are themselves deceived into rejecting God's promise of eternal life with Him in heaven, to return to God. We pray for all baptized that the Holy Spirit strengthen us to remain in Jesus Christ always.

As we begin this new year, let us resolve to declutter our lives of things that distract us from God's loving presence in our lives. We are called to holiness, to help each other become the best version of ourselves in Christ. Most of all, let us renew our efforts to evangelize, to share the Good News with others through our words and actions to that others may encounter Jesus Christ and know that he loves them. 

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Gospel of the Day

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.