We are in the first week of the new year of 2023 celebrating the joyful season of Christmas. In our first readings during our daily Masses this week, we are hearing from the letters of John from the New Testament. These letters were probably produced by the same community that wrote the Gospel of John. These letters were probably written more than 100 years after Christ’s birth, so this community was still trying to understand who Jesus really was, especially regarding his identity of being both human and divine. In today’s reading, we hear this community being called to have confidence in its faith in the Lord, in the identity as children of God. However, we hear the community dealing very openly with sin, about the need to turn away from their sins to truly be disciples of Christ.
When I was a seminarian, I spent a summer working as a chaplain at Baptist Hospital in Jackson. That was a very edifying experience, but very challenging and difficult most of the time as well. Every week, we would write down a pastoral conversation that we had with a patient during a visit. Then, our professor and fellow classmates would critique that conversation, identifying our pastoral strengths and weaknesses. Even though we all have gifts as well as struggles and weaknesses, it can be challenging to look at them, to name them, and to try to grow. I really grew a lot that summer in my ministry, and I think it shows how important it is to look at our sins and to try to achieve a conversion of heart in our journey of faith.
May we all acknowledge ourselves as true children of God, but may we also accept that responsibilities and challenges that this identity entails.
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