By Martin Madalai Muthu csc –
Readings: Jn 2: 18-21; Jn 1: 1-18
John the Evangelist makes it clear that Jesus represents the presence of the Heavenly Father. So, Jesus is the visible face of the invisible God. We often read in the Old Testament about God who is judging and frightening, but St. John introduces God through Jesus as loving, full of mercy and compassion. Reflecting on the realities of today, sometimes due to worldly temptations, we may project Jesus in a wrong way according to our own whims and fancies.
As followers of Jesus, facing temptations is an unavoidable aspect of our lives. Some people end their life for not being able to overcome temptations, some others may go along with temptations while a few can stand against them. Today’s liturgy invites us to be aware of those people who tempt us in different situations. It is true that when we try to walk with the teachings of Jesus, we are invited to prepare ourselves to face the temptations too. Temptations are sure to come from people who are against Jesus. It is an effort to separate us from Jesus. In his letter, St. John is requesting us to be aware of it and not fall prey to their temptations.
Our Messiah is with us and we are strengthened by his grace to overcome any temptations if we cling to him. It is not an easy task to journey with Jesus. We are called to face all kinds of temptations courageously and reveal the true aspect of Jesus through our words and deeds.
As we are on the last day of 2020, it is a day of thanksgiving. Let us take a moment to examine the year to thank Lord for his grace, especially in times of temptations. And let us ask forgiveness for the moments we failed to recognize his presence and ask him to give us the courage to overcome the temptations.