January 2, Monday of the Christmas Week
Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
Daily readings: 1 John 2:22–28; 1 John 1:19–28
The author of the First Letter of St. John bears testimony to Jesus. He urges the believers to adhere to the authentic teaching received from the apostle. The only way to obtain eternal life is to abide by authentic teaching. To deny that Jesus is the Christ is the lie of all lies. The one who denies Jesus, the Son of God, denies the Father too.
John the Baptist (JB) bears testimony to Jesus when he faced the priests and Levites sent by the Jews from Jerusalem. JB knows who Jesus is. He draws a clear distinction from the Messiah. He is not Elijah or a prophet. He is just a voice in the wilderness. His task is to prepare the way for the Messiah, who will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. JB can only baptize with water.
The doubt regarding who the Messiah is could have come from the fact that there were numerous false messiahs present in Israel. Jesus was present among them, and they were not even aware of it. JB is not worthy to untie the thong of the Messiah’s sandal. JB is a great example of humility. The believers would be careful to make use of every opportunity to proclaim that Jesus Christ is indeed the true Messiah who has come to save the world.
Holy Mother Church celebrates the memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen. St. Basil bore testimony to Jesus Christ during the time of the Arian heresy. His parents, brothers, and sisters were also declared saints.
St. Gregory Nazianzen was a great scholar of the Holy Scripture and a theologian of great learning and eloquence.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: Our love for Christ and the Word of God should make us true testimonies! How much do we love Christ and his Word?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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