Behold! the Lamb
of God
Is 49:3, 5-6; 1 Cor
1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34 (A/2)
Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord. Alleluia (Divine Office)
After the joy and intensity of
Christmas and the Baptism of the Lord, the Church now leads us into Ordinary
Time. Ordinary does not mean unimportant, but ordered time in which faith is
meant to grow quietly, steadily, and faithfully. And today, at the very
beginning of this season, the Church places before us the proclamation of John
the Baptist at the Jordan, not drawing attention to himself, not claiming
authority, not offering explanations. He says, “Behold!” John calls Jesus the
Lamb of God. It reminded them of the Passover lamb whose blood saved Israel
from death (Ex 12). It echoed the words of the prophet Isaiah, who spoke of the
suffering servant being led like a lamb to the slaughter (53:7). John is
telling that Jesus is the one sent by God to deal with sin at its very root.
And notice something important:
John says, “I did not know him.” This is not ignorance. It is humility. John
teaches us that faith does not come from human certainty alone. Jesus is
recognized not by status, not by power, but by the movement of the Spirit. The
same Spirit who descended upon Jesus is the Spirit who opens our eyes to
recognize him today. Do we recognize the Lamb of God when he comes to us? We
often look for God in strength, success, and certainty. But God comes as a
Lamb—gentle, humble, vulnerable. Many missed him then, and many miss him now,
because he does not meet our expectations. Yet John tells us clearly: this Lamb
takes away the sin of the world. Not just individual faults, but the deep
brokenness that separates humanity from God. This is why Jesus is more than a
teacher or moral example. He is the Redeemer. He existed before John. He is
filled with the Spirit. He does not simply cleanse with water but baptizes with
the Holy Spirit. He brings new life, not only from the outside, but also from
within.
John the Baptist does not compete
with Jesus, but gives witness that says, “He must increase; I must decrease.” In
a world that encourages self-promotion, John teaches self-giving. In a culture
of noise and attention-seeking, he teaches us how to point quietly but clearly
to Christ. True discipleship is not about making ourselves known—it is about
making Christ visible. If Jesus takes away the sin of the world, then those who
belong to him must live differently. Otherwise, we cannot receive the Lamb and
continue to live in bitterness, injustice, dishonesty, or indifference. To
follow the Lamb means choosing mercy over judgment, humility over pride,
service over power, and forgiveness over revenge. Every time we come to Mass,
we hear the priest repeat John’s words: “Behold the Lamb of God.” But the
question remains: do we truly behold him—or have these words become routine? Do
we recognize him in the Eucharist? In the wounded? In the quiet moments of
daily life? As we begin Ordinary Time, the Lord invites us to ordinary
faithfulness—to live that quietly but clearly point to him. May our words, our
choices, and our love say to the world what John once said at the Jordan: “This
is the Son of God.”
Do all you can to
preserve the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace (Divine Office)
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