May the Peace of Christ Reign in our hearts.
Tradition has it that John the Baptist and Jesus were somehow related.
So in today’s Gospel it seems strange when John the Baptist says that he did not know Jesus.
Maybe what he meant to say was that he wasn’t sure what role Jesus had in God’s plan.
He wasn’t sure if Jesus was the Messiah.
But when he saw the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus in the Jordan, and when he heard the voice of the Father,
John began a process of discipleship which every follower of Christ, and every human being is called to follow.
And so John made a bold profession of faith when he called Jesus the Lamb of God.
- By calling Jesus the Lamb of God John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to the Passover Lamb,
whose blood sprinkled on the door posts, saved Israel from death. - By calling Jesus the Lamb of God
John the Baptist professed that it would be Jesus to reconcile humanity with God. - By calling Jesus the Lamb of God he identified Jesus with the suffering servant of whom the prophet Isaiah had spoken of.
And in doing so he professed that Jesus would not be a triumphant Messianic King but rather a suffering servant who would save the world with His love and sacrifice.
When John understood who Jesus really was,
when John was sure that Jesus was indeed the Lamb of God he began surrender himself to Jesus.
He surrendered his will.
He surrendered his plan, and even his friends and his disciples.
He surrendered everything he had and everything he was to God’s will.
Remember John’s famous words…
“I must decrease he must increase.”
John’s example shows us that when a person meets Christ and falls in love with Jesus Christ their life will never be the same.
Everything is seen in a new and very different light.
You know its amazing that we priests aren’t holier.
We meet holy, very holy, people almost every day I wish some would rub off.
One day I was walking in the hospital and there were a bunch of people sitting in the area of New Britain General where the families wait when new babies are coming.
So you know me.
You’ll always hear me before you see me.
When I saw them I yelled out look at this beautiful family waiting for their new born baby.
The people responded that they were not waiting for a baby but that they had a family member was down critical care.
As I was trying to figure how I could get my foot out of my mouth a woman came up to me and said,
‘‘Father go down and pray with her. Please go down and say some prayers we are not Catholic but we believe in prayer.”
I went down into critical care and found the room.
When I stood in the door
I saw a woman on a ventilator and a man sitting next to her holding her hand.
When I knocked on the door and explained how I had been sent.
The man gladly received me and we prayed for his wife.
As I was leaving the man stopped me and said
Sir I’m sure you’ll agree when you are a Christian you can’t lose.
- If my wife gets better I will have some more time with her and that will make me happy.
- If God calls her home to Himself and she goes to her heavenly reward that will also make me happy.
I know Jesus Christ and so does my wife.
The way I see it we just can’t lose.
There was a man,
there was a couple,
there was a family,
who like John the Baptist came to know Jesus as the Lamb of God and their lives would never be the same
Holy Ones….
Everyday God reveals himself to us,
and once we understand,
once we are sure that Jesus is indeed
the Lamb of God,
our life will never be the same.
And so the questions of the week must be
Do we know Jesus Christ?
Do we know the Lamb of God?
Do we believe he takes away the sins of the world,
or are we still afraid that we can loose?
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world have mercy on us
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world have mercy on us
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world Grant us peace.
Amen
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