1 John 2:18-21 / John 1:1-18
Antichrists have
appeared; They came from our ranks
even God’s chosen people.” Matthew 24:24
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Do we guard against false teachings that are contrary
to the Gospel? “If anyone preaches to you a gospel that is different from the
one you accepted, may he be condemned to hell!” Galatians
1:9
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Today the liturgy fits in very well with the celebration of New Year’s Eve: it both looks forward to the end of time (first reading) and back to the beginning: to the Word that created all and came among people as the living Word, Jesus, to make a new beginning with us. And that’s life: the end of what is past, a new beginning to be made ever anew. It was a mixture of joys shared together and miseries that were lighter when they too were borne together. And a time for which, after all, we are grateful to one another and to God. A turning point is also a time of hope. The past is gone; we look forward. We say goodbye and we welcome what is coming with hope, for the Lord is with us; we resume our journey together as God’s pilgrim people.
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Today being the last day of the year, it is also a
unique time when we look in two differing directions. Yes, we look forward to
the new year ahead, with its "joys and hopes," as well as its "griefs
and anxieties" (Pastoral Constitution On The Church In The Modern
World, Gaudium Et Spes Promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Paul
VI on December 7, 1965
Yes, the future is uncertain and unpredictable, but that is what the mystery of
life is all about. On the other hand, we also look back on the 365 days that
had passed, for some it was quickly, for others it was slowly, but in whatever
case, it has gone down to memory and for our recollection and reflection.
For better or for worse, be it good times or bad, the gospel takes our
recollection and reflection to "In the beginning was the Word..." And
that is to tell us that the Word of God was made flesh everyday of 2016, from
the 1st January to today. The question is: Did we recognize Him and accepted
Him into our lives?
Or is it like what the gospel said: He came to His own domain, and His own
people did not accept Him. The 1st reading begins with an opposite time when it
says that "these are the last days", and it is described as a rather
turbulent time, with the appearance of several antichrists, arising from within
the church.
But as it says of these antichrists, they had never really belonged and now
they had become enemies of the Church.
So as we come to the last day of the year, let us acknowledge the presence of
Jesus, the Word made flesh, and let us welcome Him into our lives. Let us
pledge to belong to Him so that He will be present to us all the days of the
new year ahead.
Opening Prayer
Loving Father, You gave us your Son
Jesus Christ and let him share our poverty. He brought us grace upon grace, for
all that comes from you is a free gift. Accept our thanks for the moments when
we accepted your gifts and shared them with one another. Accept our thanks for
the times we listened attentively to your Son’s words and put them into
practice. Help us go forward with hope and joy with joy and mutual
encouragement. with the companion in life you have given us, Jesus Christ our
Lord.