2nd SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (A)
Sunday 15 January 2023
Jn 1:29-34
“The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptising with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
(Jn 1:29-34)
John identifies Jesus in the middle of a crowd: He isn’t just one of the many that come to Him. Instead, Jesus is the one for whom John was sent, the One who makes the difference! It is also important for us to have prophetic eyes, to know how to recognise HIS presence in the normalness of life events. John describes Him like this: “the Lamb of God, the One who takes away the sin of the world”. Sin is the great tragedy that has affected humanity, causing a rupture in our relationships, with God, with others and in ourselves. Thanks to Jesus, the unblemished Lamb, this tragedy has become a drama which has Him as the solution. Jesus has taken the evil of the world upon Himself. His cross is the new tree of life, with the capacity to absorb the carbon dioxide and transform it into oxygen.
“Look to Him and be radiant”, as the Psalmist says. Open your heart and offer your life to Him…
Fr. Giuseppe
