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| "Nathaniel Under the Fig Tree" -- by James Tissot |
FIRST
READING: 1 John
3: 11 - 21
11
For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that
we should love one another,
12
and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his
brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil
and his brother's righteous.
13
Do not wonder, brethren, that the world hates you.
14
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love
the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
15
Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought
to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17
But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need,
yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
18
Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in
truth.
19
By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our
hearts before him
20
whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts,
and he knows everything.
21
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before
God.
PSALM:
Psalms 100:
1 - 5
1
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands!
2
Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3
Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we
are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give
thanks to him, bless his name!
5
For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his
faithfulness to all generations.
GOSPEL:
John 1:
43 - 51
43
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and
said to him, "Follow me."
44
Now Philip was from Beth-sa'ida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45
Philip found Nathan'a-el, and said to him, "We have found him of
whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth,
the son of Joseph."
46
Nathan'a-el said to him, "Can anything good come out of
Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
47
Jesus saw Nathan'a-el coming to him, and said of him, "Behold,
an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"
48
Nathan'a-el said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus
answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the
fig tree, I saw you."
49
Nathan'a-el answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You
are the King of Israel!"
50
Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the
fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these."
51
And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see
heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon
the Son of man."
