1 Jn 2:18-27
Children, this is the final hour; you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and now many Antichrists have already come; from this we know that it is the final hour. They have gone from among us, but they never really belonged to us; if they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us. But this was to prove that not one of them belonged to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and have all received knowledge. I have written to you not because you are ignorant of the truth, but because you are well aware of it, and because no lie can come from the truth. Who is the liar, if not one who claims that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the Antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son cannot have the Father either; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father too.
Let what you heard in the beginning remain in you; as long as what you heard in the beginning remains in you, you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And the promise he made you himself is eternal life. So much have I written to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. But as for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; since the anointing he gave you teaches you everything, and since it is true, not false, remain in him just as he has taught you.
The theme of the Antichrist must always be present in our following of Christ. The Holy Scriptures clearly warn us about wolves wanting to infiltrate the flock (Mt 7:15), ‘hired men’ who are not true shepherds and flee when they see the wolf coming (Jn 10:12), false teachers introducing pernicious heresies (2 Pet 2:1), and many other dangers. It would be naive to believe that we, who bear the name of the Lord, will not be confronted with this reality. Jesus clearly told the apostles: ‘If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too’ (Jn 15:20).
Therefore, it is necessary to speak about this topic. It is possible that not everyone will be confronted with the same intensity. However, since there seem to be fewer and fewer pastors in the Church sufficiently warning the faithful about false doctrines and erroneous moral concepts, we cannot trust that we will be properly informed and protected by those entrusted with this responsibility. This is why, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit — whom St John calls ‘the anointing’ — it is important that we form a clearer picture, always in accordance with the Church’s doctrine. This is important so that we do not fall into deception.
Today’s passage begins by speaking of the Antichrist, who will appear before the Second Coming of the Lord. He will attempt to establish his ‘kingdom’, seeking to usurp the place of Christ and make himself equal to Him. Thus, it is clear who is hiding behind this. It is Satan’s repeated attempt to exercise dominion over men, and to seduce their souls with deception in order to cast them into perdition.
Since he has already succeeded in subjugating much of the world with anti-Christian political systems, sowing moral confusion in many people and even infiltrating the Church, his “hour” is drawing ever closer. We cannot rule out the possibility that some of the people currently living in the world will have to experience his reign of terror. It may not be identified as such at first, but it will soon become clear that the Antichrist will especially persecute those who remain faithful to the Lord and His commandments (cf. Rev. 12:17).
As today’s passage states, the coming of the Antichrist will be preceded by the appearance of ‘many antichrists’, referring to those who, although they came from among the faithful, never truly belonged to them. This suggests that they either never truly embraced the faith or lost it. In any case, they are not witnesses to the true faith, but have succumbed to the spirit of falsehood and therefore deceive the faithful.
Today, we see people in our Church denying the Eucharistic presence of the Lord, reinterpreting the physical resurrection of Christ, denying the supernatural power of His miracles and relativising mortal sins. In all these ways, the actions of the ‘antichrists’ are manifest.
However, there can also be much more subtle deceptions that are not openly expressed. For example, it may be claimed that the Church’s doctrine will not change, yet it is no longer considered a normative reality in pastoral care. This has happened in certain papal statements, such as Amoris Laetitia and Fiducia Supplicans.
The Apostle clearly points out the antidote to the anti-Christian intoxication of Christian communities: ‘Let what you heard in the beginning remain in you; as long as what you heard in the beginning remains in you, you will remain in the Son and in the Father.’
By remaining faithful to the Gospel and the doctrine of the Church, we can escape false doctrines and thus be strengthened in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should not listen to or be taught by those who want to lead us away from the truth.
Meditation on the day’s Gospel: https://en.elijamission.net/salvation-in-the-cross/
