Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Friends,
The Gospel presents us with a profound moment of transition and revelation. We see John the Baptist standing with his disciples when Jesus walks by, prompting John’s famous declaration: “Behold, the Lamb of God!” This encounter is much more than a chance meeting; it is the fulfillment of a lifelong journey of faith and a blueprint for our own lives as baptized Christians.
We must first consider the human relationship between these two figures. John and Jesus were cousins, bound by blood and shared family history. John undoubtedly knew Jesus’ face, his voice, and his lineage long before this moment. Yet, the Gospel shows a shift in John’s understanding that only occurred after the Baptism in the Jordan. It was through that spiritual experience that John moved beyond seeing Jesus as a kinsman to recognizing Him as the Messiah. This teaches us a vital lesson: we may know much about Jesus through our upbringing or academic study, but truly "beholding" Him as the Christ requires the grace of the Holy Spirit and a personal openness to the divine. This is the most important aspect of being a prophet: OPENNESS to the spiritual experience. We can know many things but we only truly know them when we pray and have the experience of God.
John’s recognition is crystallized in the title he bestows: "The Lamb of God." This is not merely a poetic description but a profound theological claim. By calling Jesus the Lamb, John identifies Him as the one who will be sacrificed to take away the sin of the world. He points to a Savior whose power is found in self-gift and whose mission is to reconcile humanity with God. Here we see the second fundamental aspect of being a prophet: to POINT out God in our daily life. This is only legitimate if there is previously the experience of prayer and encounter with God.
Finally, John’s actions define our own prophetic mission. By virtue of our Baptism, we have received the prophetic calling to be like the Baptist: having a deep spiritual life of encounter with God and pointing to the Lord. A prophet’s role is not to seek their own glory, but to show others where the Light is in our daily lives. We fulfill this mission when we have a healthy prayer life and when we invite others into a relationship with God.
God bless you abundantly,
Fr. Carlos Keen
Parochial Vicar
