Daily reflection _ children of God

CHILDREN OF GOD
St. John speaks of our identity and life which cannot be improved upon by anything we resolve to do by ourselves. "See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God" (1 Jn 3:1)... "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 Jn 3:2b).  
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
In today's first reading St. John says that we are sharers in the identity of Jesus Christ. "Beloved, we are God's children now" (1 Jn 3:2a). As children of God we are born of water and the Spirit, we share God's life, which is Holy. What a great thing to hear at the start of the New Year 2015! This is the time when most of us make resolutions to improve our lives and make them better - refraining from all our bad habits. St. John speaks of our identity and life which cannot be improved upon by anything we resolve to do by ourselves. "See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God" (1 Jn 3:1). Furthermore, even though we have the promise of eternal life as children of God, we await an even greater share in God's life in the future. For we hear from St. John that "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 Jn 3:2b).
In the Gospel, John the Baptist bears double witness to this Good News when he identifies Jesus first as the "Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world," and then as the "One Who will baptize with the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:29b, 33b).
The Church invites us in today's Responsorial Psalm to "Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds" (Ps 98:1a). Praised be Jesus Christ!