Reading 1
1 Jn 5:14-21
Beloved:
We have this confidence in him
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life.
This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.
There is such a thing as deadly sin,
about which I do not say that you should pray.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.
We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.
We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.
We also know that the Son of God has come
and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against idols.
Ps 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
Responsorial PsalmR. (see 4a)
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gosepl
Jn 3:22-30
Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,
where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings.
So 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 everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.”
Meditation: 1 John 5:14-21
“If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
Anything? Yes, anything at all—and especially his mercy.
Imagine that you are lost in the woods. As the day wears on, you grow hungry, thirsty, and weary. Near sunset, you come upon a small cottage, and the owner welcomes you in. He lets you use his shower. He even makes you a big meal and prepares a bed for you for the night. When you wake up, you feel energized and restored.
Jesus is like the owner of that cottage. He is always ready to welcome you in and see to your every need when you are lost, hungry, or restless. What’s more, he’s not just waiting for you to show up at his door. He is out looking for you, inviting you to his house today for some tender love and care. Will you come in?
In today’s first reading, John points out that there are both minor and major sins that hinder our relationship with the Lord. The minor sins can be dealt with on a daily basis through humble repentance. And the major sins need the cleansing and healing power of sacramental confession. But whether our sins are major or minor, whether they are mortal or venial, Jesus welcomes us just the same. He offers all of us—saint and sinner alike—the same hospitality and the same hope of restoration.
Isn’t this marvelous? No matter who we are or what we have done, we can “approach the throne of grace to receive mercy” and to find all the grace that we need (Hebrews 4:16). And we can do this at any time. Most of the time, we don’t have to wait for our next confession to know God’s forgiveness. We can come to him every day—many times during the day, in fact—in the privacy of our own hearts to repent of our failings. And then, when we do go to confession, our experience will be that much deeper, because our daily repentance has drawn us so much closer to the Lord.
So come to God openly and honestly today to receive his mercy. He is looking for you, eager to welcome you to his home. Let him find you!
“Thank you, Jesus, for your heart of mercy!”
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