Reflection for December 16
"Thus says the Lord: observe what is right, do what is just."
I think nearly all of scripture can be summarized in that line. As the rest of the reading says, even a foreigner, and outsider, if they do this and join themselves to the Lord, will be blessed. This is a message for ALL people.
In the gospel, Jesus goes deeper: He explains that John the Baptist was
a great light, but that He is greater. The testimony of Jesus is the works
that the Father gave to Jesus to perform. Jesus wasn't just given a
testimony of words, but of works, of action.
God's name is a verb: "I AM." Jesus, being the Son of God, has a testimony that is the embodiment of who God is - action. Jesus didn't just preach the message of God (love, mercy, compassion, justice, etc.), He lived it. We are called to be like Jesus, which means called to live a life of action. To DO what is just.
Peter DePaola, Jr.