Dearly beloved in Christ;

We are gradually settling into the ordinary time of the liturgical year after the celebration of Christmastide. In this season of ordinary time, the Church celebrates not a particular aspect of the mystery of Christ, rather it honours the mystery of Christ in all its fullness. It is a time to ponder on the life and teachings of Christ in order to grow in faith and to progress in virtue.

In todays' Gospel, we read that John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him and he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). In referring to Jesus as the Lamb of God, John the Baptist reveals the identity and mission of Jesus Christ. The lamb in Old Testament Jewish tradition carries a deep spiritual significance which is closely tied to innocence, obedience, sacrifice and redemption. It was primarily an animal used in offering sacrifices to God (Exodus 29:38-42) especially as it spiritually symbolized purity and innocence.

The lamb also symbolized substitution, where the life of the lamb was offered in the place of the sinner. Likewise, it symbolized atonement, through which people are restored to right relationship with God. Just as through the sacrifice of the pure lamb the Hebrews were freed from slavery in Egypt, so by the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God, we are freed from slavery to sin. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God who has come to bear upon Himself the sins of the world by dying on the cross to restore humanity to right relationship with God.

Consequently, when John said to his disciples, "Behold the Lamb of God", he was turning their attention from himself to Jesus. John the Baptist came to prepare the way for the Messiah which was why he preached a message of repentance as a means of preparation. Now that the Messiah has come, he shifts the attention to Him and from that time onwards, two of his disciples followed Jesus. So, when the priest elevates the Holy Eucharist during the communion rite at Mass and says, "Behold the Lamb of God", it means that people must turn their attention to the person of Jesus and not the priest. The word behold in Latin is ecce, it is a word that goes beyond a mere looking at or admiration. This kind of looking implies taking upon yourself what is seen. It implies looking at Jesus the Lamb of God who left His glory to become man for the salvation of souls and to subsequently appropriate His humility and self-giving attitude so that we may become like Him.

When the Priest invites you to "Behold the Lamb of God" during Mass, he speaks of a kind of looking that is steady. This means looking up to Jesus even when the circumstances of life are unfavorable to you. Even when the world seems to be crumbling around you, the invitation is to behold the Lamb of God. Only those who look up to Him with a steady faith get his blessing. If you are in a difficult situation, Jesus does not want you to focus on the impossibility of the circumstances around you; He wants you to focus on the possibility of His Word and His presence. Once you focus on the impossibility of the situation, you lose His blessing. He does not want you to focus on your sins; He wants you to focus on His mercy. This is because focusing on your sins will only discourage you, but focusing on His mercy gives you strength and grace to carry on.

Through the Gospel of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, may our sins be wiped away, Amen.

In Christ,

Fr. Samuel Aliba

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