Living in the Light of the True Word

Beloved brothers and sisters, as we approach the close of the Christmas Octave, the Church draws our eyes to the deeper mystery of who this Child Jesus truly is. Today’s readings speak both with urgency and with confidence. Saint John begins bluntly: “Children, it is the last hour.” These are not words meant to frighten us, but to awaken us. Christmas is decision. The Light has come into the world, and each generation must choose whether to live in that Light or turn away from it. Saint John speaks of antichrists—not only one figure, but many—those who distort the truth, who separate themselves from the community of faith, and who replace Christ with something else. This warning is especially striking in the Christmas season. Even today, Christ can be crowded out by false lights: success without truth, religion without commitment, celebration without conversion. Yet John reassures us: “You have the anointing that comes from the Holy One.” We are not helpless or confused. Through baptism, we have received the Spirit, who grounds us in truth and keeps us rooted in Christ. The Gospel proclaims the heart of Christmas with breathtaking depth: “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This is not a distant God or an abstract idea. The eternal Word steps into history, into human weakness, into real darkness. The Light shines, and the darkness has not overcome it. This is the Church’s unshakable hope. Yet the Gospel is honest: “He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.” Rejection did not begin with Herod; it continues wherever Christ is ignored, reduced, or replaced. Still, grace prevails. “To those who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God.” Christmas restores our identity. We are not defined by fear, lies, or the spirit of the age. We are born of God. As we celebrate this Seventh Day of the Octave, the Word still dwells among us—in the Eucharist, in the Church, in the lives of believers. Like John the Baptist, we are called not just to be the light, but to testify to it. In a world of many voices, may we remain anchored in the truth we know. Living in the Light of the True Word, may our lives proclaim that grace has come, truth has triumphed, and the darkness will never have the final word.