Friends,
With today’s Gospel from St John, Christmastide flows almost seamlessly into Ordinary Time. Christmas ends with the ‘revelation’ of the Son of God, and Ordinary Time begins with the Baptist recognizing Jesus as the Lamb of God.
What does that mean if we also recognize Jesus as the Chosen One of God? What does it ask of us?
Isaiah is a servant that prefigures Jesus, the chosen one of God, a servant who will gather people to the Lord by his death and resurrection. Jesus, in his suffering, will raise and restore us, as John points to him as the true lamb with the strength and power to raise and restore us from our sinfulness to holiness.
St Paul awakens the Corinthians and us of this truth; we should take our place among all the saints, the holy people of Jesus Christ. Therefore, as baptized sons and daughters of God, let us embrace our baptismal responsibility to raise and restore those drowning in despair, unforgiveness, or any spiritual sloth. As we do so, let us know that the Lord is our strength.
This week, let our way forward be doing God’s will, delighting in his law, and seeing God at work in the world and present in our lives as the lamb that guides our daily choices.
Joy and peace.
