Saturday after Epiphany

Today's Mass Readings

St. John writes, “Children, be on your guard against idols.” When I think of “idols” I most often think of small stone statues that a non-Christian might have adorning their house. Since I don’t worship statues, I should be fine, right? Perhaps a better way to examine our conscience might be to ask, “What, besides Christ, takes the center place in my life?” If Christ is not always the center of your life, what takes that space or competes for such primacy of place? The answer to these questions reveals what we need to be on guard against.

When we are aware of our sinful tendencies or disordered attachments, then we can better understand how to strive for the opposing virtue. As vice is a bad habit, so virtue is a good habit. “A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good” (CCC 1803). So, if you struggle with greed, you would strive to combat greed with generosity.

John the Baptist demonstrates what it is to seek a virtuous life and to keep Christ at the center. First, he affirms: “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.” All good gifts come from God, and we seek to dispose ourselves to receive such graces from God. And, secondly, he says, “He must increase; I must decrease.” Jesus Christ must increase and our ego of selfishness must die. To tie in the two readings, we could rework the phrase to say: “Christ must increase; my idols must decrease.” When the Chosen People strayed from faith in God, they always turned to something else (e.g. fashioning a golden calf to be their ‘god’) or choosing other forms of disobedience and infidelity. Jesus Christ is true God and true man, the Savior of all the world!

Reflection Question: What, besides Christ, takes the center place in my life?

Reflection by Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB