Reflection
The first reading today comes from John’s First Epistle. John will encourage his readers that as children of God they can have confidence in approaching the Father with their prayers. They should not only pray for their needs, but for their “brothers sinning.” John will differentiate between “deadly” and “not deadly” sin; “deadly”, we call mortal destroys the life of God within us and separates from His grace, and “not deadly”, called venial, meaning forgivable, while damaging, does not separate us from His love. John warns that “the whole world is under the power of the Evil One” but that we are under the protection of God through the coming of His Son.
The second reading from John’s Gospel relates a time when Jesus’ ministry overlaps with that of the Baptist. In a subsequent passage (Jn 4:2) it will be made clear that only the disciples and not Jesus was baptizing at that time. John the Baptist and the disciple’s baptism is a ceremonial, outward sign of presumed inward repentance. Jesus’ Baptism of salvific atonement, conferring actual grace is only made efficacious at Jesus’ Resurrection. The Baptist will here testify that he is but the precursor of “the One” who is to come and will type himself as the best man who prepares for the wedding. It is the bridegroom, Jesus, who will marry the bride, the Church. The marital covenant between Jesus and His Church is an extension of the spousal relationship between Yahweh and Israel under the Old Covenant.