Jn 1:29–34
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, he said, “There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. It is he of whom I said: A man comes after me who is already ahead of me, for he was before me. I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing to prepare for him, so that he might be revealed in Israel.”
And John also gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove from heaven and resting on him. I myself did not know him but God who sent me to baptize told me: ‘You will see the Spirit coming down and resting on the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen! and I declare that this is the Chosen One of God.”
REFLECTION
To the just person God gives the gift of recognizing the action of the Holy Spirit. This is the gift of discernment. It is all about being able to see with clarity what God is doing in my life, to hear with distinctiveness what God is saying, to understand with greater fullness what God might be inviting me to, in order that I may be able to respond to this God in the choices that I make every day of my life. When we recognize God in our life, we are able to recognize as well what separates us from God, such as our sinful tendencies that prevent us from seeing and recognizing God’s presence in our daily lives. Only a life of prayer can awaken our faith to see, hear and know God’s call, in the same way that John the Baptist, through his life of prayer and attentiveness to the Spirit, discerned and recognized Jesus as the chosen One of God, the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” God desires always to give us his gift of discernment so that we may come to recognize the presence of Jesus in our everyday life.
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