Today’s first reading tells us that we have eternal life and victory over sin. It stresses that we should be confident that our prayers are answered if it aligns with the will of God. Romans 12:2 tells us that God’s will is “good, pleasing and perfect.” John urges us to know who we are and whose we are. This leads us to the theme of today’s Gospel reading, which is humility. John the Baptist’s role was to point to Jesus. As Jesus increased, John decreased. John the Baptist uses the image of a wedding to explain his role in God’s redemptive plan. In the days of Jesus, the best man was also entrusted with protecting the bride and we see how John did this so faithfully that he was thrown into prison. He defended the truth by baptizing people and preaching the Word of God. From today’s readings, we realize that we, as Jesus’ bride, can rejoice because he sought and claimed us as his own. He clothes us in garments washed clean by his blood and affectionately calls us his beloved.

PRAYER: Abba Father, may I come before you in confidence knowing who I am and whose I am, so that, I can proclaim that my joy is fulfilled. Amen.