THURSDAY AFTER EPIPHANY, JANUARY 07, 2021

MASS READINGS

A Reading according to 1 Jn 4:19–5:4

Beloved, we love God because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

REFLECTION: "Beloved, we love God because he first loved us."

We are just finishing the season of Christmas. Ordinary time starts in a handful of days, and in about 41 more days it will be Lenten season.

What does all this mean to us? to me?

In every season we see a manifestation of God's love towards us: In Christmas we see the God of all creation becoming a helpless baby that depended both on His mother's milk and His father's protection.

In Ordinary time we usually hear Him consoling the afflicted, curing the sick, performing miracles and preaching mostly via parables.

In Lent we follow His steps as He climbs towards Jerusalem fully aware of His upcoming fate, dead on the Cross for the redemption of our sins.

Then the Triduum, Easter, Ordinary time, Advent, and Christmas again, respectively.

In every Liturgical Season, the theme is the same: God loves us. He extends His hand towards us. And no matter how much we try, if we don't love Him back, or ask Him for the grace to search for Him and love Him, nothing else will matter. If I win a Nobel Prize, or set foot on Mars: "...but do not have love, I am nothing." (1 Cor 13:2b)

A great prayer to meditate into this mystery is the Litany of the Holy Cross, which helps us remember all the blessings we have undeservedly received from God.

Set aside some time this week to reflect on God's love towards us. Let us thank Him for all that He has done for us, though we didn't ask for it. Let us also ask for the grace to want to love Him. And thus, love all our brothers and sisters in return.

We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You,

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.