Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-06-06, Optional, Bl. Andre Bessette

Reading I
1 Jn 5:5-13

Beloved:
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and Blood.
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
So there are three that testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood,
and the three are of one accord.
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.
And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
Whoever possesses the Son has life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you so that you may know
that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

or

Lk 3:23-38

When Jesus began his ministry he was about thirty years of age.
He was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias,
the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias,
the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel,
the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam,
the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea,
the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed,
the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni,
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug,
the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad,
the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared,
the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

or

Lk 3:23, 31-34, 36, 38

When Jesus began his ministry he was about thirty years of age.
He was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha,
the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala,
the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin,
the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac,
the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Enos,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

From: 1 John 5:5-13

Everyone Who Believes in Jesus Overcomes the World (Continuation)

[5] Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus
is the Son of God?

Testimony Borne to Christ

[6] This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the
water only but with the water and the blood. [7] And the Spirit is the
witness, because the Spirit is the truth. [8] There are three
witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree.
[9] If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is
greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to
his Son. [10] He who believes in the son of God has the testimony in
himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he
has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son.
[11] And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this
life is in his Son. [12] He who has the Son has life; he who has not
the Son of God has not life.

Epilogue

[13] I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life.

Commentary:

6. The "water" and the "blood" have been interpreted in different ways,
depending on whether they apply (following the more literal meaning) to
events in the life of Christ, or are regarded as symbols of particular
sacraments. The water, if referred to the life of Christ, would be an
allusion to our Lord's baptism (cf. Mt 3:13-17 and par.), where the
Father and the Holy Spirit bore witness to Christ's divinity; the blood
would refer to the Cross, where Christ, God and true man, shed his
blood to bring Redemption. According to this interpretation, St John is
answering the Gnostics, who said that Jesus of Nazareth became the Son
of God through baptism and ceased to be the Son of God prior to his
passion: therefore, only the man Jesus, devoid of divinity, died on the
Cross; which would be a denial of the redemptive value of Christ's
death.

Understood as symbols of the sacraments, the water would refer to
Baptism (cf. In 3:5), where we receive the Holy Spirit and the life of
grace (cf. Jn 7:37-39); the blood would apply to the Eucharist, where
we partake of the blood of Christ in order to have life in us (cf. Jn
6:53, 55, 56). Jesus came on earth to give his life for men (cf. Jn
10:10); we obtain that life in the first instance by means of the
living water of Baptism (cf. Jn 4:14; 7:37ff); and also by the
application of the blood of Christ, which cleanses us from all sin (cf.
1 Jn 1:7; 2:2; 4:10).

The two interpretations are compatible with one another, given that
sacraments are sensible signs of the supernatural effects of Christ's
redemptive death. Referring to Baptism, Tertullian wrote: "We have also
a second laving, and it too is unique--the baptism with blood. The Lord
spoke of this when he said, 'I have a baptism to be baptized with' (Lk
12:50), having had already been baptized once. So, he did come 'by
water and blood' (1 In 5:6), as John writes, in order to be bathed by
the water and glorified by the blood, in order to make us (who are
called by water) chosen ones through blood. These two baptisms spring
from the wound in his pierced side; so it is that those who believed in
his blood would be washed by the water; those who were washed in the
water would also drink of the blood" ("De Baptismo", XVI).

7-8. The Sistine-Clementine edition of the Vulgate included an addition
which left the text reading as follows: "There are three who give
witness in heaven: the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are
one. And there are three who give witness on earth. the Spirit, the
water, and the blood; and these three agree." The words shown in
italics (known as the Johannine "comma" or addition) were the subject
of heated debate (around the end of the nineteenth century) as to their
authenticity. The Holy Office (as was) left theologians free to
research the matter (cf. "Declaration", 2 June 1927) and in fact it has
been shown that the "comma" was introduced in Spain around the fourth
century AD in a text attributed to Priscillian, and therefore does not
belong to the original inspired text. The "comma" makes express mention
of the Blessed Trinity; however, even without it the text proclaims
that mystery of faith fairly clearly: it makes mention of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God (vv. 5-6), and of the Holy Spirit (v. 7) and of the
Father, both of whom bear witness to the Son (v. 9).

According to the legal prescriptions of the Old Testament, the
testimony of one witness was insufficient at trials (Deut 17:6; cf. Jn
8:17). St John points to three witnesses (the Holy Spirit, water and
blood), thereby refuting the Gnostic teaching; he is saying that the
water and the blood, that is, Christ's baptism and his death on the
Cross, are a manifestation of his divinity. Clearly the word "witness"
is used here in a broad sense: namely, in the sense that at those two
important moments in his life, Christ makes known to us that he is true
God.

The Fathers who interpreted these words as referring to the sacraments
usually comment on the fact that in the sacraments the grace of God is
communicated internally and is signaled externally. St Bede writes
along those lines: "The Holy Spirit makes us adoptive sons of God; the
water of the sacred fount cleanses us; the blood of the Lord redeems
us: the spiritual sacrament gives us a dual witness, one visible, one
invisible" ("In I Epist. S. Ioannis, ad loc.").

9-12. In his characteristic style St John strings together a series of
short phrases (and their opposites, as contrasts) which are full of
meaning. In a very few words, he enunciates three important truths,
which he expects Christians to be very familiar with: 1) God the Father
has borne witness to his Son (v. 9); 2) this witness brings an
obligation with it; if one does not believe one is making God out to be
a liar (v. 10); 3) God has given us life in Christ (vv. 11-12).

Earlier the Apostle pointed out that faith in Jesus can be the object
of reason because it is based on external proofs, and that its fruit is
supernatural life (cf. 1 Jn 1 :1-5). Now he adds that in addition to
the aforementioned witnesses--the Spirit, the water and the blood (vv.
6-8)--God the Father bears witness. Although John does not expressly
say so, it is clear that God bore witness to Jesus throughout his
earthly life: Jesus' words, miracles, passion and death, and his
resurrection are evidence God has supplied of Christ's divinity. The
believer "has the testimony [of God] in him" (v. 10), within him,
insofar as he accepts and makes the Christian message (Revelation) his
own, convinced that it comes from God, who cannot deceive or be
deceived. In his turn, he who believes in Jesus Christ manifests his
faith to others, passing on to them the conviction that Jesus is true
God.

Faith produces the fruit of supernatural life, which is the seed and
first-fruit of eternal life (cf. 11-12); that life can be given us
only by Jesus Christ, our Savior. "To those of us who are still making
our pilgrim way in this life has been given the hope of eternal life,
which we shall only receive in its full form in heaven when we reach
Him" ("In I Epist. S. Ioannis, ad loc.").

13-21. St John's words in v. 13 are evocative of the first epilogue to
his Gospel, where he explains why he wrote that book: "that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
you may have life in his name" (Jn 20:31). In this verse of the letter,
the Apostle stresses the efficacy of faith, which is already an
anticipation of eternal life (cf. notes on 1 Jn 3:2; 5:9-12).

His final counsels are designed to strengthen our confidence in prayer
and to urge the need for prayer on behalf of sinners (vv. 14-17); they
also stress the conviction and confidence that faith in the Son of God
gives the believer (vv. 18-21).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Mark 1:7-11

The Ministry of John the Baptist

[7] And he (John the Baptist) preached, saying, "After me comes he who
is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop
down and untie. [8] I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize
you with the Holy Spirit."

Jesus Is Baptized

[9] In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized
by John in the Jordan. [10] And when he came up out of the water,
immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon
him like a dove; [11] and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved
Son; with thee I am well pleased."

Commentary:

8. "Baptizing with the Holy Spirit" refers to the Baptism Jesus will
institute and shows how it differs from the baptism of John. In John's
baptism, as in the other rites of the Old Testament, grace was only
signified, symbolized. "By the baptism of the New Law, men are
baptized inwardly by the Holy Spirit, and this is accomplished by God
alone. But by the baptism of John the body alone was cleansed by the
water" (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae, III, q. 38, art. 2 ad
1). In Christian Baptism, instituted by our Lord, the baptismal rite
not only signifies grace but is the effective cause of grace, i.e. it
confers grace. "Baptism confers the first sanctifying grace and the
supernatural virtues, taking away Original Sin and also personal sins
if there are any, together with the entire debt of punishment which the
baptized person owes for sin. In addition, Baptism impresses the
Christian character in the soul and makes it able to receive the other
sacraments" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 295). The effects of Christian
Baptism, like everything to do with the sanctification of souls, are
attributed to the Holy Spirit, the "Sanctifier". It should be pointed
out, however, that like all the "ad extra" actions of God (i.e. actions
external to the intimate life of the Blessed Trinity), the
sanctification of souls is the work of all three Divine Persons.

9. Our Lord's hidden life takes place (apart form his birth at Bethlehem
and the time he was in Egypt) in Nazareth of Galilee from where he comes
to receive John's baptism.

Jesus has no need to receive this baptism of conversion. However, it
was appropriate that he who was going to establish the New Alliance
should recognize and accept the mission of his Precursor by being
baptized with his baptism: this would encourage people to prepare to
receive the Baptism which WAS necessary. The Fathers comment that our
Lord went to receive John's baptism in order to fulfill all
righteousness (cf. Mt 3:15), to give us an example of humility, to
become widely known, to have people believe in Him and to give
life-giving strength to the waters of Baptism.

"Ever since the Baptism of Christ in the water, Baptism removes the sins
of all" (St Augustine, "Sermon" 135).

"There are two different periods of time which relate to Baptism--one
the period of its institution by the Redeemer; the other the
establishment of the law regarding its reception. [...] The second
period to be distinguished, that is, the time when the law of Baptism
was made, also admits of no doubt. Holy writers are unanimous in
saying that after the Resurrection of our Lord, when he gave to his
Apostles the command to go and 'make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost' (Mt 28:19) the law of Baptism became obligatory on all who were
to be saved" ("St. Pius V Catechism", Part II).

10. The visible presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove marks
the beginning of Christ's public ministry. The Holy Spirit will also
appear, in the form of tongues of fire, on the occasion when the Church
begins its mission to all the world on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts
2:3-21).

The Fathers usually interpret the dove as a symbol of peace and
reconciliation between God and men. It first appears in the account of
the flood (Gen 8:10-11) as a sign that God's punishment of mankind has
come to an end. Its presence at the beginning of Christ's public
ministry symbolizes the peace and reconciliation he will bring.

11. At the very beginning of his public life the mystery of the Holy
Trinity is made manifest: "The Son is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends
in the form of a dove and the voice of the Father is heard" (St Bede,
"In Marci Evangelium expositio, in loc."). "The Holy Spirit dwells in
him," the same author goes on, "but not from the moment of his Baptism,
but from the moment he became man." In other words, Jesus did not
become God's son at his Baptism; he is the Son of God from all eternity.
Nor did he become the Messiah at this point; he was the Messiah from the
moment he became man.

Baptism is the public manifestation of Jesus as Son of God and as
Messiah, ratified by the presence of the Blessed Trinity.

"The Holy Spirit descended visibly in bodily form upon Christ when he
was baptized so that we may believe him to descend invisibly upon all
those who are baptized afterwards" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Summa
Theologiae", III, q. 39, a. 6 and 3).

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Lord our God, friend of the humble, you blessed your servant, Brother Andre with a great devotion to St. Joseph and a real concern for the needy and the afflicted. Through his intercession fill our hearts with compassion, and lead us in the ways of prayer and love that we may enter with him into your glory. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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January 06, 2006

Optional Memorial of Blessed Andre Bessette, religious (Can); Epiphany (traditional)

Old Calendar: Epiphany of Our Lord

Blessed Andre was born near Quebec, and entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross as a Brother. He performed humble tasks for over forty years and entrusted all of the poor and sick who flocked to his cell to the care of St. Joseph. During his life he was able to have a chapel built to the spouse of the Virgin Mary. After his death, the shrine grew into the great basilica known as St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal.

In many countries this is the Feast of the Epiphany, as it had been on the old calendar here in the United States until the Bishops decided that the Feast would be celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.

The Thirteenth Day of Christmas

Bl. Andre Bessette
Brother Andre expressed a saint's faith by a lifelong devotion to Saint Joseph.

Sickness and weakness dogged Andre from birth. He was the eighth of twelve children born to a French Canadian couple near Montreal. Adopted at twelve, when both parents had died, he became a farmhand. Various trades followed: shoemaker, baker, blacksmith-all failures. He was a factory worker in the United States during the boom times of the Civil War.

At twenty-five, he applied for entrance into the Congregation of the Holy Cross. After a year's novitiate, he was not admitted because of his weak health. But with an extension and the urging of Bishop Bourget (see Marie-Rose Durocher, October 6), he was finally received. He was given the humble job of doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, with additional duties as sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. "When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door, and I remained forty years."

In his little room near the door, he spent much of the night on his knees. On his windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of Saint Joseph, to whom he had been devoted since childhood. When asked about it he said, "Some day, Saint Joseph is going to be honored in a very special way on Mount Royal!"

When he heard someone was ill, he visited to bring cheer and to pray with the sick person. He would rub the sick person lightly with oil taken from a lamp burning in the college chapel. Word of healing powers began to spread.

When an epidemic broke out at a nearby college, Andre volunteered to nurse. Not one person died. The trickle of sick people to his door became a flood. His superiors were uneasy; diocesan authorities were suspicious; doctors called him a quack. "I do not cure," he said again and again. "Saint Joseph cures." In the end he needed four secretaries to handle the eighty thousand letters he received each year.

For many years the Holy Cross authorities had tried to buy land on Mount Royal. Brother Andre and others climbed the steep hill and planted medals of Saint Joseph. Suddenly, the owners yielded. Andre collected two hundred dollars to build a small chapel and began receiving visitors there-smiling through long hours of listening, applying Saint Joseph's oil. Some were cured, some not. The pile of crutches, canes and braces grew.

The chapel also grew. By 1931 there were gleaming walls, but money ran out. "Put a statue of Saint Joseph in the middle. If he wants a roof over his head, he'll get it." The magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal took fifty years to build. The sickly boy who could not hold a job died at ninety.

He is buried at the Oratory and was beatified in 1982. — Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Things to Do:

Read more about the life of Blessed Andre.
Learn more about the Holy Cross Brothers, the order of which Bl. Andre was a member. Pray for an increase in vocations and for those who are already living the religious life.
If you live close to St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, make a pilgrimage. If that's not possible make a virtual pilgrimage.
Say a prayer for the sick who were so dear to the heart of Brother Andre.
Try the recipes offered to sample authentic French Canadian food.

The Word Among Us

Friday, January 06, 2006

Meditation
Mark 1:7-11

As we read about Jesus hearing a “voice from heaven,” perhaps we are wishing that we too could hear God in some spectacular way. Maybe we are hoping for some kind of spiritual breakthrough in our lives. Or perhaps we have serious needs in our lives, and we’d like God to speak more directly to us about them.

If that’s the case, then it might be helpful to look at what God is saying here, rather than at how dramatically he delivers his message. The Father is telling us who Jesus is: He is not just a great prophet and teacher—he is the Son of God. All of his power and authority come directly from the Father and are meant to bring us into God’s presence. The very name of Christ means “anointed one,” because the Father has anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit, to bring the whole world into a relationship with him!

It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that gave Jesus the power to “proclaim liberty to the captives,” to restore sight to the blind and free the oppressed (Isaiah 61:1-2). It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that enabled the apostles to start spreading the gospel. And it’s the same power and anointing that are at work in the church—and in our lives—today. Speaking through his Spirit, God is still on a mission to bring people to repentance and to joy, hope, and freedom in Christ.

You may not have heard a voice from the clouds lately, but have you listened for him here on earth? Do you hear the promptings of his Spirit in your conscience? Have you felt a prompting to do something helpful for a neighbor? Have you heard something in Scripture, or perhaps from a friend, that really touched you and lifted up your heart? It’s very likely that the Lord has been speaking—and perhaps he’s already given you the answers you are seeking. Maybe you just need to quiet down, listen, and obey. He is a patient Father, full of compassion, and he is more than willing to repeat himself. We are his beloved sons and daughters, and he is “well pleased” with our willing hearts!

“Lord, I want to hear your voice and to follow wherever you are leading me—even if it’s to something completely unknown. I give you my life, Lord, and I say ‘yes’ to you today!”

1 John 5:5-13; Psalm 147:12-15,19-20

Dear Salvation,

Perhaps I have a solution to your problem. I logged onto www.desertvoice.org last night Indian Standard Time as I normally do every night and I read his homily which I feel was fantastic.

It is for Friday Before Epiphany 6th of January 2006. Let me know when you read it or see this post.

In Jesus and Mary,

Friday January 6, 2006 Friday Before Epiphany

Reading (1 John 5:5-13) Gospel (St. Mark 1:7-11)

In the first reading today, Saint John tells us about Who Jesus is, and he speaks in language that sometimes is a little difficult to understand. He tells us that Jesus came, not by water alone, but by water and by blood; and therefore, he tells us that there are three who testify, that is, the Spirit, the water, and the blood. Now we ask ourselves: Just exactly what does that mean? The Spirit is pretty evident; that is the Holy Spirit. The water is the divinity of Christ, or the grace of God, the very life of Christ Himself. And the blood, of course, is His humanity. He is both God and man, and He is possessed of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, we have all three of those present.

Saint John goes on, then, to tell us that God gave testimony to His own Son. That is precisely what we heard in the Gospel reading today, that when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, the voice of the Father was heard: You are My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Saint John then goes on to say that anyone who refuses to believe in Jesus makes God the Father a liar because it is God the Father Himself Who has testified on His own Son’s behalf, and if we refuse to accept the testimony of God, then what we are saying is that God has given false testimony, in other words, that He is a liar.

Now what is the result of our acceptance of Christ? Saint John tells us that He came for one purpose–that is, to give us eternal life–and if we believe in the name of the Son of God, we have life within us. We, therefore, who are by nature blood (that is, human) now have a share in that water, that divinity, the grace of Christ. Remember that Jesus, in Saint John’s Gospel, talks about the rivers of water that will come up from the heart of those who believe. He talks to the Samaritan woman about water: If you knew Who you were talking to, you would ask Him for water and He would give you living water so you would never thirst again. He is talking here about grace, about the Holy Spirit. Those who are baptized into Christ share His life. They also share His Spirit. So He Who is God by nature, He Who is divine, became human so that we who are human by nature could become divine, that we share in the divine nature, that we share in the divine life, that we share in the gift of the Holy Spirit, and therefore we have eternal life. That is what Saint John is getting at.

Again, to believe in the name of the Son of God does not just simply mean to say we believe that Jesus is God. Remember, as Saint James says, Even the demons believe, and they tremble. It is not enough to say, “Yes, I believe Jesus is God.” It means to believe every single thing about Him and to act upon it, to live it – and we can. We have the grace of God; we have the Holy Spirit; we have everything we need to be able to live holy lives. It is now a matter of putting it into practice. And the result of living that life and practicing it is going to be eternal life.

So if we live the life of Christ in this world, a life which is both human and divine, inspired and led by the Holy Spirit, then we are going to have life within for eternity. If, on the other hand, we choose not to live according to this life of Christ, but rather to live a worldly life–and remember that Saint John begins the reading today by saying, Who is the one who is victorious over the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God–so if we choose to live a worldly life, to reject the divine life that we have been given, to reject the Holy Spirit, then we have chosen the unholy spirit, we have chosen a worldly life, a temporal life. Therefore, we will share life in hell with Satan for eternity. Those are the two possibilities, the two options.

God has given us absolutely everything to be able to achieve the goal for which we are created, and that is eternal life, because we who are born of blood only have now been reborn according to water and the Spirit, the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, so that we can believe in Jesus Christ in Whom we are members. And living the life of Christ, we have therefore the very gift which He came to give us: forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

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