Background Pic: John points to Christ “Behold The Lamb of God”
HOMILY FOR SECOND SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A, JANUARY 15, 2023
“Withhold no part of the precious truth, but speak what you know and declare what you have seen. Do not allow the toil or darkness or possible unbelief of your friends to dissuade you. Let us rise and march to the place of duty, and there declare what great things God has shown to our soul.” -Alistair Beggs
SUNDAY READINGS
The Reason The Gospel Message isn’t spreading like social media in our time is that many Christians come to church as spectators and umpires. The spectators watch the whole liturgical drama and sermon and are entertained. The umpires judge and analyze the preaching of the pastor and performance of the ministers, and are either impressed or disappointed. Many a time, after listening to the beautiful sermon, many go into the world to narrate the drama that took place in church instead of sharing the word of God and living by the example of Christ. —Clem Aladi
My Dearest Friends,
Welcome to the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Christmas Season ended with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Christmas festivities have come and gone. Many have already stripped their homes of all Christmas decorations. We have finally returned to the Ordinary Season which happens to be the longest in the cycle of the Church’s calendar. At this time there is no special mystery celebrated, but it is a time we contemplate other aspects of Christ’s Life, such as His preaching, parables, miracles, His struggles, and successes. Today like John the Baptist we are called to be His witnesses in our world.
The readings of today, especially the Gospel, present to us the convincing and incontrovertible testimony and witness of an unassuming prophet, John the Baptist. John the Baptist revealed Jesus as the Lamb of God; a revelation that paved the way to attracting and convincing many in Israel to be disciples of Christ. John introduced Jesus on the stage and bowed out honorably. He decreased so that Christ might increase and become the center of attraction and interest. Today we are called to be faithful and convinced witnesses to Christ the Lamb and to also be lambs that will give up our lives so others may live.
Jesus Is The Salvation Brought To Mankind
The first reading is selected from the second Servant Song, Isaiah 40-55. In the original author’s mind, the servant was probably a symbol for the people of Israel or a faithful remnant within the people. The Gospels clearly show that the “Suffering Servant” is Jesus. The early Church saw aspects of Jesus’ own life as Sacrificial Lamb and His mission of universal salvation foreshadowed in the Servant Songs. The Church today refers to all of the Servant Songs throughout the liturgical year. We can better understand John’s identification of Christ as the Lamb of God against this backdrop.
Called To Witness In Holiness of Life
The second reading is Paul’s first letter to all the members of the Church in Corinth. Corinth was a bawdy seaport in cosmopolitan Greece. The vices of every seaport, plus the philosophical ferment of ancient Greece, were part of these people’s lives and gave rise, in part, to the need for this letter. Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are “sanctified and called to be holy.” Likewise, all who call on the name of Jesus in faith are called by God and consecrated in Christ Jesus for a life of holiness and service. The pollution and proliferation of sin among the Corinthians necessitated Paul’s writing. In the same way, the Church today laments over a culture of sin that is polluting our world in present times. If Paul were to be alive now, the atrocities committed in today’s world would warrant his writing more than ten letters reminding us of our call to live holy lives!! The geographical location of Corinth as a seaport influenced the lifestyle of many. In the same way, technology and social media today, have placed many at odds with the Word of God and their Christian calling. As Paul reminded the Corinthians, we are called to live as God’s children, in a world saturated by sin and hold firm to the Word of God by obeying His commandments and bearing witness to Christ, as did John the Baptist in the Gospel.
Give A Public Testimony If You Believe In Christ
It is part of ceremonial practices in public gatherings for a master of ceremony (MC) to introduce special guests of honor to the stage or high table. This is usually accompanied by standing or a clapping ovation in some cultures. This practice aims to cast the light on this special person(s) whose presence gives meaning to the gathering of the day. Unlike an MC who gets to know the special guest of honor only through the information given to him before the actual introduction, John the Baptist had first-hand knowledge and information about whom he was introducing. Far from being a mere introduction to the Person, John testified about Christ. A testimony is a statement of truth about something or someone, or a public expression of a religious experience. John the Baptist gave testimony to Jesus by pointing out that Jesus is: the Lamb of God (vs 29, 36); a Man who was before me (v 30); the One on Whom the Holy Spirit remained (v 33); and the Son of God (v 34).
John mentioned twice in the Gospel that he does not know Him, but he was made to know Him by Him who sent him to bear witness to Christ and indicated the special symbol of the Holy Spirit as the distinguishing mark of the True One. John the Baptist, therefore, heard and saw what he testified about the Lamb. We become faithful witnesses to Christ when we are convinced of Him to whom we bear witness. We can only invite people to come and behold what we have seen if we ourselves are convinced that it is true.
Be A Faithful Witness To Christ
Today’s Gospel reminds us that being a disciple of Jesus means that we grow by faith to become witnesses for Him. And bearing witness to Christ is an active, not passive, lifetime enterprise. One cannot be a disciple of Jesus at a distance any more than one can be a distant lover. To love Christ is to be drawn close to Him, to know Christ personally, to experience Him through the Bible, prayers, and the Sacraments, and to inspire others to want to know Jesus. To help Christ is to share the Good News about Him with others. Blessed are we when we bring to others the gifts of love, peace, justice, tolerance, and mercy, thus becoming witnesses for the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Don’t invite your friends only to clubs and parties, also take them to religious gatherings to behold the Presence of God. Many owe their faith today to their friends who took them to church. May we imitate Christ in His humility and gentleness, as that of a lamb. May we bear faithful witness with our lives and, as lambs, be prepared to lay down our lives for others for the sake of Christ.
I keep you and your family always in my prayers. ©Clem C. Aladi (2024)
