Faith-Call-Discipleship

HOMILY CHRISTMAS SEASON – Jan 04

Singing A New Song

(1 Jn 3:7-10; Ps 98; Jn 1:35-43)

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“O sing to the Lord a new song.”

That first sentence of the first stanza of the psalm today captures the spirit of the readings: We are to live a new life in Christ, the Lamb of God.

The readings today unfold in a progressive manner. The psalm reminds us God has won the victory, has done marvellous things, has brought us salvation. Our response is to praise God and joyfully sing a new song.

John in the first reading points out it is through Christ that God has won this victory. He is adamant that when we live in Christ, we must be holy, renewed, righteous, reject all sin in our lives, because there is no sin in Christ, and on top of all that, truly love our brothers and sisters.

The gospel interaction between John the Baptist, Jesus and the disciples builds on the first two readings. First, John proclaims Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That clarifies the psalm – now we know who has won the victory. The first question Jesus asks the disciples, “What are you looking for?” is a primal question for all people of all times. What truly are we looking for in life, especially when we turn to false gods of money, fame and power to try to fill the void in our lives? Many people go through life not really knowing what they most fundamentally want, and accordingly, they drift.

The correct answer to Jesus’ question is “eternal life” or “friendship with God” or “holiness.” This is the simple, clear, unambiguous articulation of the end goal that any believer should have as he or she endeavors to lead his or her life.

Other people may know more or less what they want spiritually, but they lack the courage and attention to pursue that end in the face of distractions and opposition. They know they should be growing in holiness, but the secular culture proposes sex, pleasure, power, and honor so attractively that they lose their way. Or perhaps they receive withering criticism from those who are stuck in the old, standard way of life, and they give in. Faith in Jesus as the source of eternal life can nudge us into practicing the spirituality of “letting go” or over-attachment to these false gods tempting us daily.

The reply of the disciples is also critical – “Where do you live?” God does not live up above or out there. In Jesus, God lives within us and among us. The invitation from Jesus illustrates that – “Come and see” – and they went and stayed with him the rest of that day. This can be seen as an open invitation to us to abide with Jesus as the Word made flesh in the silence of contemplative prayer.

This interplay provides us with the means to live out the challenge of John in the first reading – to live in Christ is to be righteous and without sin, because he has no sin in him. When we are looking for Jesus, and staying with Jesus every hour of every day, abiding with him in contemplative prayer, then he will win the victory over sin within us. We simply have to hang on to him and turn to him every morning with the prayer of the Anawim, the poor people who know they need God, asking for and receiving the strength to say “no” to temptation and sin.

Andrew becomes a model for us – first, he believes in Jesus as the Messiah, the first one to do what the Jewish religious leaders were never able to do. Then he evangelized – he brought his brother Simon to the Lord. Simon, in turn, believes and receives a new name, Peter. This newness Jesus brings to them and to the world, is symbolized by that change of name.

The Eucharist is our best way of both abiding in Jesus and singing a new song, living a new life. We listen to his word and receive his Body and Blood, and are sent out like Andrew to bring others to Jesus.

So, let us place our faith in Christ, turn and follow him like Andrew and Peter, strive to live in him, and respond to his love by singing a new song through lives of joyful praise and love for others.