Homily

Who Jesus Christ Is: The Lamb of God

Sunday, January 20, 2008, Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
Assumption Grotto Parish, Detroit

Today I hope to stir your hearts to a more perfect love for the Holy Eucharist, and I intend to do so by meditating upon the proofs of the divinity of our Redeemer which St. John the Baptist has given us in today’s reading (Jn 1:29-34).

Yet before doing so, some mention is necessary, in my opinion, of the liturgical calendar and some upcoming dates. The conversion of St. Paul the Apostle is this Friday, and may graces will be available for those who seek them. Also, remember that Lent is creeping up on us fast, on February 6, just a two and a half weeks away now.

You surely know that on Tuesday we remember the horrible victory of the powers of hell which took form in the judgment now called Roe v. Wade. For the mere thought, let alone the act, of the murder of a baby in his mother’s womb, by a technician paid to perpetrate said killing, clearly comes from hell and the perverse mind of Satan. Let us pray for these babies, let us pray for the surviving mothers, let us pray for the men who were bad fathers through it all. Let us also pray and make sacrifices for an end to abortion, the last failsafe to guarantee irresponsible impurity. And let no Catholic, under whatsoever excuse, knowingly and willingly give political power to those civil leaders who abuse their office to promote and defend this abomination.

That said about the calendar, let us now turn our hearts and minds to the first chapter of St. John.

The most important question in the history of the world is who is Jesus the Son of Mary? In today’s verses, St. John the Baptist offers some proofs to show us that he is, in fact, God. If what St. John says is true, then this is the most important thing we need to know.

As a first proof, St. John appeals to the experience of revelation which he had. The Baptist says that the Lord “existed” before him; yet it was no secret that Elizabeth gave birth to John before the Virgin gave birth to her divine son. For the Son of God was begotten from the Father forever, and there was never a time when the Father was without the Son. St. John knew this because it was revealed to him. St. John also says that it was revealed to him, by “the one who sent me to baptize,” that the dove would come upon him. And indeed, at the baptism, the Holy Spirit came upon the Lord in the form of the dove, and the Father made his voice heard as thunder to all who were there. Whom John the Baptist knew as cousin, he now knew as Messiah, and that’s why St. John says, “I did not know him,” and yet he knew him now.

Yet anyone can say, “God told me.” How many evils in the world have happened because people claim that “God told me.” Both Mormonism and Islam have risen from such nonsense, and countless preachers, even Catholic ones, have lead their faithful astray, claiming, “God spoke to me, he told me this or that.” So in the case of St. John the Baptists, who survived on locusts out in the desert, and gained nothing in pride or comfort or money by his mission, his penitential life is one hint of his authenticity. So John adds more.

See, he indicates the Lord and says, “Behold, the lamb of God.” He says this lamb will “take away the sin of the world.” That this was a proof of the divinity of the Son of Mary might not have been evident to those who stood nearby and listened. For I could say that about anyone, and, well, who cares? The proof of the prophecy would come in time. For only the Son of Mary, among all men born in the history of the world, fulfilled each and every prophecy said about him in the prophets, including St. John the Baptist. The truth of the Baptist’s words were made manifest in the crucifixion – for the blood of the lamb of Exodus, which, when spread on the wooden posts of the home, saved those who dwelt therein, was revealed as a sign and a promise of the blood of the Real Lamb, who is the Lord, for his Blood, when spread upon the wood of the cross, saves all of those who dwell in the house of the Church with faith.

So St. John the Baptist offers at least three proofs: first, the revelation he had received; second, the manifestation or epiphany of the Trinity at the Baptism of the Lord; third, the prophecy that he was in fact the lamb of God.

For the Son of Mary is not just man; he is man, perfectly and integrally man, but he is also God. From his Mother he was born, from his Eternal Father he was eternally begotten. For God is one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and there is no other God; the Father and his Word and his Spirit are all one God, three in Persons and one in Substance (cf. John of Damascus, De Fide Orthodoxa, I, 8).

So what does this mean for us, and how can we apply these truths to our lives? Well, if the Lord is God, then we must strive to know him, love him and serve him every moment of every day, no matter what our circumstances or state of life. Renounce sin. Rejoice in his mercy, for your sins are conquered. Be as meek as chaste, be as detached as patient, carry your cross every day and love one another as the Lord commanded. Yes, much could be said. Christ has given us a true rule of life.

But if today we could apply these thoughts to the Holy Eucharist, we would gain much profit for our spiritual lives. For at every Mass the priest shows the Host to those who attend, and says what St. John the Baptist said, “Ecce, Agnus Dei, Behold the Lamb of God.” This is the Lamb in Exodus, the Lamb of the Apocalypse, the Eternal Word of the Father. It’s truly him, yes, even in his flesh. He is hidden to us in the form of bread, for he wishes to nourish our souls and sanctify our bodies. This is the Eucharist!

And if this is the truth about the Eucharist, why do we find so little devotion in the Church today? Why do so few pray to him? How come so few visit him in the tabernacle? Why are there so many liturgical abuses? Why do those who are certain that they are in mortal sin receive communion without confessing? Why are we so distracted when we receive communion? Why are so many absorbed in their external appearance to the negligence of the state of their soul when they come to Mass? Don’t they love the Lord in the Eucharist? Don’t they hope in their eternal salvation from He who is the Eucharist? Don’t they believe?

Let us reflect on what it is that God dwells among men in every tabernacle. At Fatima, the angel, upon his third apparition, taught the children to pray words which I repeat whenever I consecrate the bread and wine, ‘Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the most precious Body, Blood Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which he himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners.”