We are in the time between the celebration of Epiphany and the Lord's Baptism, and the readings continue to uncover for us the mystery of Christmas: God becoming human so that we humans may become divine. The language of John's Gospel is unambiguously clear: the  word "begotten," used both for Jesus ("only begotten son") and for us who believe ("begotten by God"),  plainly attests to our divine origins.  We ARE the children of God, all of us, without any exceptions.  One very practical way to consider the readings today is to reflect upon this question: is there anyone I am, in the dungeons of my mind and the chambers of my heart, excluding from membership in God's family?
 
In today's Gospel passage,  a young adult Jesus reads to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth (where he grew up) a passage from Isaiah that describes his own call to ministry and gives witness to the divine origin of his own teaching: "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."  But this was too much for the people of his own hometown, and they actually flew into a rage and attempted to kill Jesus.  Here is a second question for each of us to ponder:  What in the teaching of Jesus is a scandal today? Which part of his message, if I attempt to live it, will lead me to persecution?
 
The final suggestion I have for us to pray over in today's Scripture is the pregnant first line of the first reading: "We love God BECAUSE He first loved us."  We could meditate on that forever and still never exhaust the mystery of it!  But a good beginning is simply to count the ways that God has revealed God's love for us and to remember all the gifts bestowed upon us.  What I am suggesting, of course, is that we do the Ignatian "Contemplatio Ad Amorem," the Spiritual Exercise for obtaining God's love.  Quietly look back over our lives and recall all the ways, times, events, relationships, suffferings, etc., of my life ("To recall to mind the blessings of creation and redemption, and the special favors I have received"). Then, Ignatius goes on, "I will ponder with great affection how much God our Lord has done for me, and how much He has given me of what He possesses, and finally, how much, as far as He can,  the same Lord desires to give Himself to me...."
 
Ignatius then invites us to reflect upon ourselves and to consider how we ought to offer God all that we have and are, making this offering of ourselves: "Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me.  To Thee, O Lord, I return it.  All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will.  Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this is sufficient for me."