Gospel of the Day

Beginning of the holy gospel according to John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.

According to Your Dignity.

Those of us who have come to know Jesus have experienced a new birth. We no longer come from flesh and blood because it is the grace received through the merits of Christ that has given us a new life as children of God. This new life grants us a much greater status. This new dignity should effectively call us to the interest of remaining in it and not losing it. It is up to us to be among those who embrace this immense grace and maintain it, or to be among those who do not embrace it and lose it by behaving like unworthy children of God. I am a child of God; I just have to believe it and behave accordingly, and the grace of Christ will assist me.

Grounded in Married Life:

Leonardo: Andrea, I have asked the Lord to show me your true dignity. I need faith to be able to see it fully. I’m sure that if He reveals to me the mystery of the dignity that God wants to give us, our relationship will improve drastically.
Andrea: Well, you already know. He has given us the dignity of being children of God. What more do you need?
Leonardo: I know it in my head, but not in my heart. If I were truly aware of what that means, I could never treat you poorly. Would you speak disrespectfully to the Pope if he were physically present here?
Andrea: No, for heaven’s sake! I would treat His Holiness as he deserves.
Leonardo: In contrast, someone who isn’t Catholic might not treat him with as much reverence because they don’t know who they are before.
Andrea: Now I understand. If we recognized the true dignity we possess, we would complete each other and treat each other according to that dignity.
Leonardo: Exactly. Will you ask the Lord with me so that we will have more strength together?
Andrea: Alright. We will ask Him every day of this coming year.

Mother,

Thank you for this wonderful year, in which we have received grace upon grace. Praise be to the Lord for so much.