This week as we celebrated the feast of the epiphany we recall how the Lord decided to reveal his birth to the wise men who knew that a great king has been born into this world and in the same way the Lord revealed Him¬self to the shepherds as a baby in a manger.

Today we know that this great King and this baby in the manger came as a fulfillment of the promise by the Father in heaven. He was given to the children of God and as a light to this entire world, which is caught up in sinfulness, blind¬ness, confusion, sickness, and darkness. The Lord Jesus came to deliver us from the grip of the enemy’s clutches and bondages.

This is to help us realise that we give into self-centredness easily instead of giving inner responses as an act of surrender to God. In the first reading, the invitation is to be right with God and to be born again in Spirit and truth on any given occasion. In our hu¬man nature, we fall but as believers, we know that Christ Jesus is living inside us. Hence we do not remain in that fallen state. We return to the Lord in prayer using the gift of prayer tools given to us and we enter into the spirit in confidence that the Father will grant us whatever we ask through His Son as per His will.

In the Gospel proclamation, it is confirmed in St. John’s reply to the Jew “no one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven”. Further, the Lord reminds us that when we are born of His truth and Spirit we are His possession. That sense of belongingness is from God who lifts us up from our confusion into His light and Peace. It gives us the grace to distaste sin and addictions of the flesh. When we see our brothers and sisters fallen or even challenging us we will be led to intercede for them. We do not have anything to boast about ourselves but testify and rejoice to the life we have received from Him. The Lord is diverting us to His path of life from the valley of sin and death. We are invited to rejoice since we have been made complete in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Abba Father, when we fall and fail help us to experience your presence powerfully. And the grace to understand that you uphold all who fall and raise up all who bow down. Amen