John 1:29-34

1 John 2:29-3:6

Psalm 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6

John 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

He is the one of whom I said,

'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me

because he existed before me.'

I did not know him,

but the reason why I came baptizing with water

was that he might be made known to Israel."

John testified further, saying,

"I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky

and remain upon him.

I did not know him,

but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,

'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,

he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'

Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I am your child. You have been so gracious to me and poured out so many gifts upon me, including the gift of life and the gift of divine life. I want to be more aware of these awesome gifts in my life and manifest a deeper gratitude.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Jesus is the Lamb of God: The prologue of John’s Gospel identifies Jesus as the eternal Word of God who assumed our human nature and dwelt among us. In the Gospel verses we read today, we learn that Jesus is the Lamb of God who was sacrificed on our behalf to take away our sins. As the Lamb of God, Jesus brings to fulfillment the yearly sacrifice of the Passover Lamb and the daily sacrifice of lambs in the Temple. The lambs sacrificed in the Temple were unable to truly take away the sins of humanity. They were a symbol and awaited their fulfillment in Jesus. As the true and ultimate Passover Lamb, Jesus is the one who effectively delivers us from sin and reconciles us with God. 

2. The Gifts of the Lamb: When Jesus is sacrificed on the Cross as the innocent Lamb of God, he pours out and bestows upon his bride the gift of the Holy Spirit. And he pours out the Spirit on us, especially through the sacraments. Through Baptism, we receive the first gift of the Spirit. Through Confirmation, we are strengthened in the Spirit. Through Reconciliation, we receive the Spirit we may have lost through sin.

3. We are Children of God: One of the many effects of Baptism is that it makes us children of God. Our First Reading contemplates how we are to practice righteousness as children of God. We can do this because God’s grace empowers us to do what is right and just. However, through serious sin, we can break our filial communion with God. John points out that even now here on earth we are God’s children, but that something mysterious and even greater awaits us in heaven: we will see God face to face, as God is. Our participation in divine life begins here on earth but will be brought to fulfillment only in the glory of heaven.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, you gave me the supreme example of filial obedience. I struggle and often want to do my own will rather than seek the Father’s will. Help me to love the Father more and to see how his will leads to happiness and fullness of life. 

Resolution: Each of us has seen or experienced the difference between a rebellious child and a docile child. The rebellious child is disobedient, stubborn, and implacable. The docile child, by contrast, listens attentively to their parents, is docile to their word, and reciprocates their love. If I were to take stock of how I relate to God the Father, do I manifest the behaviors of a rebellious child who fears the punishment of their Father or those of a docile child who, out of love, fears offending their Father? Do I stubbornly and pridefully hold on to my own way or do I humbly seek the way that leads to eternal life with God?