December 31, 2014

Reading

First Letter of John   2: 18-21

2:18 Little sons, it is the last hour. And, as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have arrived. By this, we know that it is the last hour.

2:19 They went out from among us, but they were not of us. For, if they had been of us, certainly they would have remained with us. But in this way, it is made manifest that none of them are of us.

2:20 Yet you have the anointing of the Holy One, and you know everything.

2:21 I have not written to you as to ones who are ignorant of the truth, but as to ones who know the truth. For no lie is of the truth.

Gospel

John    1: 1-18

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.

1:2 He was with God in the beginning. 1:3 All things were made through Him, and nothing that was made was made without Him.

1:4 Life was in Him, and Life was the light of men.

1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

1:6 There was a man sent by God, whose name was John.

1:7 He arrived as a witness to offer testimony about the Light, so that all would believe through him.

1:8 He was not the Light, but he was to offer testimony about the Light.

1:9 The true Light, which illuminates every man, was coming into this world.

1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him.

1:11 He went to his own, and his own did not accept him.

1:12 Yet whoever did accept him, those who believed in his name, he gave them the power to become the sons of God.

1:13 These are born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

1:14 And the Word became flesh, and he lived among us, and we saw his glory, glory like that of an only-begotten son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1:15 John offers testimony about him, and he cries out, saying: “This is the one about whom I said: ‘He who is to come after me, has been placed ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ”

1:16 And from his fullness, we all have received, even grace for grace.

1:17 For the law was given though Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

1:18 No one ever saw God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he himself has described him.