Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.  Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.  If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.

There are many ways in which we can deny Jesus. We can do it through our sinful words and works. We can be dismissive of those in need. We can choose ourselves over others. We can become so prideful that we see ourselves as better than others. We can fall into despair and falsely believe we are not worthy of God's Love or Mercy. It is important as followers of Christ to remain in and with God in our everyday actions so that we can come to share in the eternal life God offers us. We might be tempted to listen to the world that denies Christ and tells us to do the same, but we must resist and instead confess our belief in Jesus all the more strongly.

What are the ways we are tempted to deny Jesus? How can we solidify Jesus' teachings so they remain in our hearts? How can we more faithfully confess the Good News in spite of what the world tells us?

O Lord, help us to remain in you.

Amen.