Second Sunday after Trinity AD 2026

What gives us confidence toward God? In today’s Epistle, Saint John tells us that our confidence rests on two things: faith in the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and love for one another.

To believe in the name of Jesus means, first of all, to trust that He is our Saviour. This is, after all, what His name means: The Lord saves. The fact that we must believe in Him in order to be saved does not mean that salvation is somehow our own achievement. Quite the contrary. We are saved by the grace of God, who gave His only begotten Son to bear our sins on the cross of Calvary, winning for us the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life.

Perhaps we can understand the role of faith through a simple illustration. Imagine that you are drowning. A lifeboat comes alongside you, and a hand reaches out to save you. You do not rescue yourself by taking hold of that hand; rather, you allow yourself to be grasped and pulled from the water. What is required of you is trust in the one who has come to save you. Does that make your rescue your own work? Certainly not. But neither should you resist your rescuer or try to swim away from him.

Saint John also reminds us that faith and love belong together. To love one another means seeking and doing what is best for others. Above all, it means caring for the salvation of the souls God has placed in our lives. Yet love is expressed not only in spiritual concern but also in practical acts of kindness and service, helping others whenever we are able, just as we ourselves hope to be helped in times of need. And let us never forget that true love is selfless. It does not seek recognition or praise; rather, as our Lord teaches us, it does not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.