Let us shy away from sin to remain righteous children of God

January 4, Thursday of the Christmas Week
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
Daily readings: 1 John 3:7–10; 1 John 1:35–42

How do you distinguish who is righteous and who is not? How do we know whether a person is a child of God or a child of the devil? The author of the First Letter of St. John says that anyone who does what is right is righteous and is a child of God.

The one who commits sins is a child of the devil. It is sin that separates believers from God and other brothers and sisters. It is love that unites all those who love God because God is love. Thus, the first reading continues to warn against false teachers to protect the children of God.

Jesus has already been baptized. The Spirit of God remains on him, or rather, he abides in the Spirit. When the first two disciples (Andrew and the other disciples) met Jesus, they inquired as to where he lived. It is not a question to identify the dwelling place of Jesus but rather to determine if Jesus is the one who abides by the law. The Jews believed that the Messiah would be the one who abides in the Spirit.

Jesus’ invitation to “come and see” indicates an ongoing process of seeing or a continued action of seeing. Seeing is believing, after all! Those who dare to go to Jesus to see him will see the revelation of God in him. Their stay brings out an enormous life-transforming experience. Such a profound experience needs to be shared. Andrew meets with his brother Simon, who encounters Jesus and receives a new name, Peter. Simon instantly becomes Peter. He has to become a rock, or rather, possess faith like a solid piece of rock.

Call to Action for Catholic Living: The one who encounters Jesus creates a chain of action. Andrew meets with Jesus and shares his experience with his brother Peter. When I encounter Jesus, I should share it with someone. If I don’t do that, it could amount to a lack of Jesus experience.