+ “Who is he?” and “Who are you?” are questions that are often asked in our scriptures; not because people were just curious — although that was also true — but because it had to do with deep issues of faith, life, and even eternal life.
And so in John’s first letter, he is calling followers of Christ to recognize and identify Jesus the Christ as the Son of God, and calling all to know and proclaim that truth.
And in so doing, he was calling all to recognize God as Father.
In so doing, John promises that this truth would mean that the Father and Son would remain in his followers and they would share in eternal life.
Anything less than this would make them liars, and they could surely identify as the deceived and as deceivers.
Remember, he tells them, that they have been anointed in this truth, and in that anointing they should have confidence and remain faithful to this truth.
+ And the Gospel returns to an earlier story in which John is being questioned by priests and Levites and Pharisees as to who John was.
Therefore, he — John — was baptizing people with water to prepare them to be ready to recognize the Christ, who had been sent to give them a sharing in eternal life.
And so, in this context we can ask ourselves just how well we can identify the Christ in our lives, and identify the Father — our Father, who art in heaven!
This truth not only identifies the Father and the Son, but also identifies each of us also as sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters and children anointed in this truth!
And in that truth, we ought to remain.
Father Perry Dean Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com.
