31 December 2014
The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
In today’s first reading St. John tells us there are four conditions for walking in the light: have nothing to do with sin; observe the commandments; beware of the spirit of the world and keep your guard up against the anti-Christ.
Who is the anti-Christ? Anyone opposed to Christ and his teaching, brother Christians who pull us away from Christ and his Church; voices from either the left or right, avowed or cryptic, who claim the Church of Rome cannot be the Bride of Christ because of the warts on her face.
Some pseudo-Anti-Christs today seem to believe Christ died to save the Latin language. Others declare teachings on marriage, and sexual practices are to be found in the conscience of each person. Period. John speaks about both when he writes: “if they had belonged to us they would have stayed with us.” But they are still our brothers and sisters and we must pray for them. That is possible with “the anointing that comes from the Holy One,” i.e. the Holy Spirit who remains in and with the Church and dwells within us teaching us to put into practice Christ’s command to love one another as he has loved us.