Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu sau lễ Hiển Linh

 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu sau lễ Hiển Linh
Qua bài Tin Mừng chúng ta được nghe hôm nay, chúng ta đã thấy được những gì đặc biệt trong phép lạ mà Chúa Giêsu đã làm trong bài đọc phúc âm hôm nay
            Một số người trong chúng ta có thể không bao giở dám đến với Chúa để nói một câu tương tự: Nhưng Chúa Giêsu vẫn luôn trong tư thế sẵn sàng để chữa lành chúng ta, có lẽ vì chúng ta không tin là Ngài có thể làm được như vậy.  Đôi khi chúng ta đến với Chúa và cầu nguyện để xin cho chúng ta một ơn xin hay một cái gì đó, nhưng trong thâm tâm xôn xao lo lắng, vì chúng ta có thể không tin là Chúa có thể được thay đổi những tình hình bi đát hiện tại của chúng ta. Bởi vì chúng ta thường cầu nguyện, đọc kinh hay theo các nghi thức, những nguyên tắc cứng đơ, như người có xác, mà không có hồn trong các nghi lễ, và hình như chúng ta làm là để chĩ muốn xe xua, tỏ vẻ quan trọng các dấu hiệu bên ngoài mà quên không nhắc tới những câu nguyện cầu  căn bản:
 “Con tin rằng Đức Giêsu có thể chữa lành cho Con, Xin giúp con biết thay đổi.”
            Chúng ta hãy can đảm để suy ngẫm về những lời cầu nguyện của chúng ta. Không nên quá chú trọng về nội dung của lời cầu nguyện, nhưng hãy tự đo dâng lên Chúa những lời cầu nguyện riêng của mình. Khi chúng ta nói chuyện với Chúa Giêsu, xin Chúa về điều gì đó, chúng ta có tin rằng Chúa luôn luôn lắng nghe lời cầu xin của chúng ta và Ngài có thể đáp ban cho chúng ta nhừng lời cầu xin của chúng ta?
            Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện lên Chúa Giêsu một cách chân thành là xin Ngài ban cho chúng ta được gia tăng đức tin. Ngài sẽ lắng nghe Chúng ta.     Lạy Chúa, chúng con tin; Xin Chúa gia tăng đức tin của chúng con.
 
Reflection: (SG)
 
Reflection: (SG)
What is special about the miracle which is reported in today’s gospel reading? There was a leper who wanted to be cleansed. When he saw Jesus, he knelt down and said something very special to him: “Sir, if you are willing, you can cleanse me”. We can feel the faith of this man. He did not have any doubt that Jesus was able to change his miserable life. Jesus touched him and he was cleansed immediately.
            Some of us may not ask whether Jesus is willing to heal us, because we do not believe he is able to do so. Sometimes we multiply prayers asking for something, but in our heart, we do not believe that anything can be changed. We stick to rituals, external signs and do not ask the fundamental question: Do I believe that Jesus can heal me, help me and change my life?
            I would like to encourage you to mediate about your prayer. Not about its content but about the prayer itself. When you talk to Jesus, asking him about something, are you convinced that he listens to you and he is able to answer your question? Pray to Jesus sincerely for an increase of faith. He will listen to you.         
            Lord, I do believe; increase my faith’
 
Friday after Epiphany
The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray. Lk: 5:15-165
This line concludes the beautiful and powerful story of a man who was full of leprosy and who came to Jesus, fell prostrate before Him and pleaded with Jesus to heal Him if it was His will. Jesus’ response was simple: “I do will it. Be made clean.” And then Jesus did the unthinkable. He touched the man. The man, of course, was immediately healed of his leprosy, and Jesus sent him to show himself to the priest. But word of this miracle spread fast, and many people kept coming to see Jesus as a result.
It’s easy to imagine the scene of people talking about this miracle, thinking of their own ailments and those of their loved ones, and wanting to be healed by this miracle worker. But in the passage above, we see Jesus do something very interesting and prophetic. Just as the great crowds gathered and just as there was much excitement about Jesus, He withdrew from them to a deserted place to pray. Why would He do this?
Jesus’s mission was to teach His followers the truth and to lead them to Heaven. He did this not only by His miracles and teachings but also by setting an example of prayer. By going off to pray to His Father alone, Jesus teaches all of these excited followers what is most important in life. Physical miracles are not what is most important. Prayer and communion with the Father in Heaven is what’s most important.
If you have established a healthy life of daily prayer, one way you can share the Gospel with others is by allowing others to witness your commitment to prayer. Not so as to receive their praise, but to let them know what you find most important in life. When you commit yourself to daily Mass, going to church for adoration, or simply taking time alone in your room to pray, others will notice and will be drawn into a holy curiosity which may also lead them to a life of prayer.
Reflect, today, upon your mission to evangelize others by the simple act of allowing your life of prayer and devotion to be known by them. Let them see you pray, and if they ask, share with them the fruits of your prayer. Allow your love of our Lord to shine forth so that others will receive the blessing of your holy witness.
Lord, help me to be committed to a life of true prayer and devotion each and every day. Help me to be faithful to this life of prayer and to continually be drawn deeper in my love of You. As I learn to pray, use me to be a witness to others so that those who need You the most will be changed by my love of You. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday after Epiphany 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have prepared your people to experience your merciful love. Your Son inaugurated the perpetual Jubilee of mercy and grace. I love you and thank you for all that you have done to bring me into your family and save me from the slavery of sin and curse of eternal death.
Encountering the Word of God
Encountering the Word of God
1. Freedom and the Jubilee Year: Every seven years, the people of Israel were to celebrate a Sabbath year of rest. Every fifty years, after seven cycles of Sabbath years, the people of Israel were supposed to celebrate the Jubilee Year (Leviticus 25:8-55). It began with the spiritual liberation from sin on the Day of Atonement: “The removal of sin and evil allowed reconciliation of God with his people and a restoration of the family bond of the covenant” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 45). The blood of the lamb on the Day of Atonement accomplished redemption, the payment of the debt incurred by sin. Financial debts were also forgiven in the Jubilee Year, and the ancestral land that was sold to pay any financial debts was released or returned to the family that sold it. The Jubilee Year enabled the people of God to experience rest with God. The people were freed from debt, freed from slavery, and freed from agricultural obligations. They were freed to worship and enjoy covenant communion with the Lord God.
2. The Exile and the Jubilee: We can gather from the Bible that the people of Israel were negligent in obeying the prescriptions of the Sabbath years and Jubilee Years. In fact, the 70 years of the Babylonian Exile were a punishment for not following the laws about the Sabbath and Jubilee years (2 Chronicles 36:20-21). The prophets of Israel realized that the Jubilee year would truly be observed only when the Messiah or “anointed one” came (Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 55). Isaiah 61, which Jesus read in today’s Gospel, looks forward to the day when God’s anointed servant would proclaim liberty to the captives and a Jubilee year of favor. The other prophets, like Daniel and Ezekiel, both looked forward to the great Jubilee that the Messiah would inaugurate. Daniel spoke of seventy weeks of years (490 years) and Ezekiel used the number 500 (ten jubilee cycles) in connection to the New Temple. “Ezekiel meant to symbolize that, in the future, Israel’s temple would also be her source of jubilee – forgiveness, freedom, family, and fullness. And from this jubilean temple, the river of life would flow east, watering and rejuvenating the land wherever it reached (Ezek 47:1-12) (Bergsma,Jesus and the Jubilee, 57).
3. Nazareth and the Inauguration of the Great Jubilee: When Jesus read from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue at Nazareth, he proclaimed that he was the Messiah and was inaugurating the Jubilee Year of favor. He likened himself to the prophets Elijah and Elisha. After his preaching, Jesus does things that evidence he is the long-awaited Messiah and priestly king like Melchizedek. Not only does Jesus proclaim liberty and announce the year of the Lord’s favor, but he also releases people from their debt of sin, delivers them from the power of the devil, and atones for sin through his sacrificial death on the cross (see Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 75-76). We experience the perpetual jubilee inaugurated by Jesus every single day in the Sacraments of the Church. “All the goals of the jubilee are fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit. The Spirit forgives our sins, grants us freedom from the tyranny of Satan, institutes us as children of God and members of his family, and initiates us into the fullness of God so that we become ‘partakers of the divine nature’ (2 Peter 1:4)” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 111).
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Ngày 2/1 /2026
Nhiều người trong chúng ta ai cũng muốn chọn cho mình con đường thành công nên họ đã phải luôn nghĩ đến sự thành công thành công và tìm mọi cách để đạt tới sự thàng công trong học trường hay trong công việc, Vì sự thành công đó tích lũy được rất nhiều tiền, và có nhiều thế lực. Nhưng ngược lại, Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả đã dạy chúng ta, "Hãy chuẩn bị đường cho Chúa, san lấp và làm thẳng mặt đường cho Chúa đi." Điều này, do đó, phải là mục đích chính của chúng ta trong cuộc sống.
Qua bài đọc một cho chúng ta thấy là Những tiên tri giả xuất hiện đang chỉ cho chúng ta biết là trọng tâm chính của họ là cái Tôi,, hay họ chỉ muốn đặt bản thân của họ, gia đình họ , hay bạn bè của họ trước những người khác và chỉ nghĩ đến họ trước khi họ nghĩ đến người khác.
Còn Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả đã bỏ nhà và gia đình để sống trong sa mạc như một ẩn sĩ, không nghĩ đến sự thoải mái, tiên nghi của riêng mình. Chúa Giêsu cũng ra đi bỏ lại Đức Maria, mẹ của ngài  một mình ở quê nhà để rao giảng Nước Thiên Chúa cho tất cả mọi người, Ngài đã làm trong sự vâng phục Chúa Cha của Ngàu trên trời. Sống giữa Giái Hội của chúng ta ngày nay, chng ta vẫn còn thấy một số tiên tri giả trong số chúng ta, những người này luôn nghĩ và tin rằng các quy luật của Giáo Hội hôm nay đã lỗi thời, và chúng ta có thể châm chước, bỏ qua một số quy tắc của luật Chúa hay luật của giáo hội để cho hợp điều kiện hay cuộc sống của xã hội hôm tại. Vì Giáo Luật của Chúa quá khắt khe với những điều mà chúng ta muốn, họ cho rằng giáo lý của Thiên Chúa quá khát khe và đã xâm phạm quyền tự do của con người họ hôm nay? . Những sai lầm này đang được trình bày ra đây là sự thật. Trong Giáo Hội sơ khai, các Kitô hữu cũng đã phải đương đầu đấu tranh với những lời giáo huấn đó.
            Chúng ta nên biết rằng con đường nên thánh thì rất khó khăn và đầy thử thách, nhưng con đường hẹp này sẽ dẫn chúng ta đến hạnh phúc thật sự và cuộc sống đời đời. Thánh Gioan Tẩy giả đã hướng dẫn các tông đồ của mình đến với Chúa Giêsu. Bây giờ, ông vẫn còn tiếp tục dẫn dắt chúng ta đến với Chúa Giêsu qua lời dạy của Ngài. Nếu chúng ta đã khám phá ra Chúa Giêsu trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, chúng ta phải bỏ lại tất cả mọi thứ phía đằng sau và phải biết tập trung  đôi mắt của chúng ta hướng về Chúa Kitô, là  Đấng sẽ dẫn dắt chúng ta vào trong cuộc hành trình về đức tin của chúng ta .
 
 Reflection
      There are many false prophets in the world. One tells us to go for success always– success in school, in work, in accumulating a lot of money, in having power, etc. In contrast, St. John the Baptist says, "Prepare a way for the Lord, make straight his paths." This, therefore, should be our main purpose in life. Another false prophet tells us always to put oneself, one's family, one's friends before strangers or the poor. However, St. John left his house and family to live in the desert as a hermit, not thinking of his own comfort. Jesus also left his mother to be an itinerant missionary proclaiming the kingdom of God to everyone. This he did in obedience to his Father in heaven. Still another false prophet tells us that the laws of the Church are antiquated, and that we can bend some of her rules and disregard some of her teachings which seem to encroach on our freedom. These falsehoods are being presented to us as truths. In the early Church, the Christians had to contend with such teachings.
                 We know that the path to holiness is full of trials and hardships,  but this narrow path leads to true happiness, to eternal life. St. John led the apostles to Jesus. Now, he continues to lead us to Jesus through his teachings. If we have discovered Jesus in our lives, we must put everything else behind, or in second place. We should keep our eyes focused on him who leads us in our journey of faith.
 
 
Friday January 2, 2026 when before Epiphany
“I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John 1:26–28
Though John the Baptist prepared the people of Israel for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he also prepares us to receive the fruit of that ministry and mission. One way he does this is by revealing the identity of the Messiah with great clarity.
Of John, Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). This is high praise! One of the most important qualities that made John so great was his humility. It was his humility that enabled him to turn the attention of his followers away from himself and toward the Messiah.
During this transitional period between the octave of Christmas and Ordinary Time, we are invited to anticipate all that this newborn King came to do in our lives. He came to set us free from all sin so that we can enter into union with Him. One of the best ways to embrace our Lord’s mission is to understand who He is—His identity and mission.
With John, we are invited to acknowledge the unfathomable glory of the Messiah. With John, we must profess that we are not worthy even to untie His sandal strap. In the cultural context, that function was delegated to the lowest servant in a household, who untied the master’s sandals upon his return home and washed his feet. If we understand who Jesus is in relation to us, we will believe and profess that we are not worthy even to be His lowliest servant. This is the truth: in regard to worthiness, we have none in the presence of the Messiah.
Once we understand and believe this truth, we will be better prepared to embrace the even more glorious truth that our King, Master, and Messiah has chosen to stoop down to wash our feet and serve us by laying down His life for our eternal salvation. He takes all our sins upon Himself and suffers their consequences, death on a cross. Without imitating and participating in John’s humility, we cannot experience the depth of gratitude that we must have for Jesus’ life and mission. Acknowledging our complete unworthiness with John is not demeaning, nor does it make us any more unworthy. Instead, this act of true humility prepares us for the gift that began with the Incarnation and culminated in the Ascension into Heaven.
Reflect today on the humble truth of your complete unworthiness before the life and mission of the Messiah. Ponder John the Baptist as your model. Look at Jesus as John looked at Him, and believe what John believed. As you do, allow that realization to fill you with gratitude as you ponder God’s choice to meet you in that lowly state so as to serve you with the gift of His very life.
My glorious Lord, I am not worthy even to be Your lowest servant. Help me to understand and believe this humble truth. As I do, I offer You my utmost gratitude for choosing to meet me in that humility and to draw me to Yourself as my Messiah and King. I love You, my Lord; help me to love You more. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
January 2, when before Epiphany 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me to know who I am. I want to know my strengths and my weaknesses, my virtues and my vices, my sinful tendencies, and my collaboration with your grace. Help me to know my mission and my vocation so that I can cooperate in your plan of salvation and the extension of your Kingdom.
Encountering the Word of God
1. I Baptize with Water: We continue to read the opening chapter of John’s Gospel. After the Prologue, which introduces the eternally begotten Word of God and the initial message of John the Baptist, John the Evangelist speaks about John the Baptist’s testimony. The priests and Levites came to John to ask him about his identity and why he was baptizing. He told them that he was not the Christ promised by Daniel, or the Elijah promised by Malachi, or the Prophet promised by Moses. He is the Voice in the wilderness promised by Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3). This was originally a prophecy about the end of Judah’s exile in Babylon. It promised a way for God to lead the people of Judah home. John understands that the prophecy will ultimately be fulfilled by the Christ who is already among the people. John’s baptism is a preparation for the coming of the Messiah. It brings the people into the wilderness and brings them to repentance. When the Messiah comes, he will bring the people not just to repentance, but also pour out the Spirit upon them, forgive their sins, and gather them into the Kingdom.
2. Basil the Great on the Birth of Christ: Saint Basil the Great teaches that the Incarnation of Jesus Christ represents a profound mystery where the eternal Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, assumes human flesh to dwell intimately among humanity, not as a distant observer but through a direct union of divine and human natures to redeem and restore humankind to himself. He emphasizes the voluntary humility of Christ, who, as the Word made flesh, endured poverty, suffering, and death – symbolized by his birth in a manger and ultimate crucifixion – to heal human infirmity and save the lost sheep, accommodating divine glory to human weakness without compromising his consubstantiality with the Father. This Incarnation of the Word marks a cosmic shift, freeing creation from pagan delusions and proving the reality of Christ’s assumption of our human flesh.
3. Gregory Nazianzen on the Incarnation: Saint Gregory Nazianzen, also known as Gregory the Theologian, articulates the mystery of the Incarnation as the eternal, invisible Son of God, uniting himself fully with human nature – flesh, soul, and mind – except for sin, to purify and heal what was corrupted by the fall of Adam and Eve. He famously stated: “that which he has not assumed he has not healed” (Letter to Cledonius against Apollinarius). Conceived by the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit, Christ becomes the Son of Man to restore the divine image in humanity, mingling divinity with an intelligent soul to redeem us. Jesus overcame the tyranny of sin through his obedience, death, and resurrection, thus granting immortality to our flesh and enabling believers to share in a second, more marvelous communion. This miraculous commingling fills the heavens and earth, as God empties himself of glory for human fullness, seeking the lost sheep as the Good Shepherd and bearing the Cross to lead humanity to eternal life.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I have been blessed by your divine grace. I now share in your divine sonship through the Sacrament of Baptism. When I lose your grace through sin, bring me back through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
 
January 2, 2018 -John 1: 19-28
This is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, "Who are you?" He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Christ." So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany acros s the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
 
The Power of Humility.
In this reading, John the Baptist demonstrates the attitude fundamental to making Christ known: humility. John the Baptist had the chance to be considered the Messiah, the Christ. True, eventually the deception would become known, but for a while, he could have had all of Israel at his feet. All too often today, people give in to temptation and compromise their principles to get glory and power for a day — think of businessmen who inflate their company’s profits, or scientists who fake their results. Their inevitable downfall is tragic. St. John the Baptist knows that the only way he can serve God and fulfill his mission in life is to direct all glory to God and none to himself, never presuming to be more than he is. We, too, can live as true Christians and make Jesus present to others only if we put aside our pride and vanity.
What makes John the Baptist’s message effective is that he doesn’t just preach his message; he is his message. He preaches penance, but first, he lives it, going out into the desert and living an ascetic life. He baptizes with water, but first, he gets into the water. If we want to make Jesus known to others, we first have to know him ourselves. We cannot preach the essence of the Gospel, the message of love, if we don’t live love in our daily lives. We can’t criticize, judge others, and always “look out for number one” (where “one” is ourselves) and still hope to be an effective apostle of Christ. However, if with the help of God’s grace, we do our best to put love into action, then words will hardly be necessary. Our example alone will change people’s lives.
 
REFLECTION
The Christmas holidays are over. Hopefully we have spent the past weeks in love and thanksgiving to the newborn Son of God. Hopefully our families have become closer and grateful for the blessings of the past year. Even if the past year wasn't so good, we must still be grateful for the greatest blessing God has given to us – His beloved Son Jesus. Now as we begin a new year, let us be reminded to let the Holy Spirit guide us in our daily undertakings. Let God be a light for our paths and a lamp for our eyes. He has filled us with His Truth so let Him remain with us always.  St. John the Baptist was a man filled with the Holy Spirit. He was always telling the people to wait for the coming of the Messiah. His life was in function of another – Jesus, the Anointed One. He called men to repent and amend their sinful ways. For him, Jesus is the One who will renew everything. Let us believe in his words which should serve as a light for our paths. Let us "make a straight path for the Lord." Let us live uprightly in anticipation for the coming of the Messiah in our lives.
 
January 3, when before Epiphany
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I am called to give witness to the power of your grace and merciful love. Inspire me to know what to say and when to say it. Grant me the courage to not be silent when I need to speak up.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Behold, the Lamb of God: As we continue to listen to the first chapter of John’s Gospel, we encounter the figure of John the Baptist. When John saw Jesus approach him, he chose to identify him as the “Lamb of God.” There were so many titles John could have used. He could have said, “Behold, the King of Israel,” or “Behold, the Great Prophet of God,” or “Behold, the royal Messiah.” Instead, John was inspired to proclaim Jesus as the Lamb of God. The image of a lamb harkens back to the story of Abraham, who trusted that the Lord God would one day provide a sacrificial lamb that would unleash a blessing upon all humanity. For centuries, the people of God sacrificed lambs on Mt. Moriah. They, like Abraham, were waiting for the Lamb that God would provide. John today proclaims that Jesus is the Lamb of God who, through his sacrifice on Mt. Moriah, will take away the sin of the world.
2. Behold, the Spirit of God: John not only testifies to the Lamb of God but also testifies to the Spirit of God. He says, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.” There were hints of the Spirit in the Old Testament. The Spirit of God hovered over the waters of creation. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David when he was anointed by Samuel. The prophet Ezekiel promised that God would sprinkle clean water upon his people, cleanse his people from the sin of idolatry, give them a new heart, and put a new Spirit within them. With this new Spirit, the people would be empowered to follow and obey God’s Law. This promise is brought to fulfillment through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
3. Behold, the Voice of God: When John testifies to the Lamb of God and the Spirit of God, he does not do this of his own accord. John says that the one who sent him also spoke to him. We are called to be like John and be attentive to God’s Voice. We hear this Voice in prayer, meditation, and contemplation. Our daily prayers should be inspired by the Psalms and the Church's Liturgy. Our meditation in God’s presence should bring us to reflect on how we are living in accord with God’s loving will. Our contemplation should bring us to gaze with faith upon Jesus and make the mystery of Christ alive in us. “Contemplative prayer is hearing the Word of God. Far from being passive, such attentiveness is the obedience of faith, the unconditional acceptance of a servant, and the loving commitment of a child. It participates in the ‘Yes’ of the Son become servant and the Fiat of God's lowly handmaid” (CCC, 2716). “Contemplative prayer is silence, the ‘symbol of the world to come’ or ‘silent love.’ Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the ‘outer’ man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus” (CCC, 2717).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, bring me more deeply into the mystery of your divine life. Increase my faith so that I may confess you more confidently. Increase my hope so that I may trust more fully in you and your promise of eternal life. Increase my charity so that I may be united more perfectly in bonds of love with God the Father and my brothers and sisters.
 
January 3, when before Epiphany 2026
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John 1:29–31
Though John grew up in the hill country of Judea near Jerusalem and Jesus grew up in Nazareth, it is very likely that their families visited each other regularly, allowing John and Jesus to spend time together as cousins. Despite this, when John first saw His cousin coming to him in the wilderness, he said, “I did not know him.” John did not fully understand who Jesus was—that He was the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world—until John began his public ministry and witnessed the Holy Spirit descending upon his Lord, his cousin.
What an awe-inspiring and joyous moment that must have been for John. He had discerned that his mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah, to be the Messiah’s immediate precursor, preparing the way for Him. He embraced that mission and fulfilled it by preaching and offering a baptism of repentance to those who believed. He lived in the wilderness, fasting, praying, and anticipating the day the Messiah would arrive. Imagine his surprise and delight at that moment when he saw the Holy Spirit descend upon his cousin.
Though the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in a singularly unique way, since He is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, John’s experience offers us an invitation to remain vigilant as we await Jesus’ ongoing coming among us. Though our Lord came and walked the Earth 2,000 years ago, He continues to do so today through His Body, the Church. Like John, we must be on the lookout, and when we see Him, we must cry out in faith, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
The most important way our Lord comes to us is within the Mass. The priest repeats John the Baptist’s familiar words as he holds up our Lord, hidden within the Sacred Host, for all to see. Additionally, our Lord comes to us as the Holy Spirit descends and makes Him known. This happens in sermons, reflections, Church teachings, within the charity of others’ actions, through personal prayer, and in numerous other ways. We must see the Lamb of God every time He comes to us, ideally with the same wonder and awe that filled John’s mind and heart during those first encounters.
Reflect today on those sacred words with which we are very familiar: “Behold the Lamb of God…” As you do, ponder how often you personally “behold” Him. Are you filled with wonder and awe at Mass? Within your daily prayer? In the life of the Church and in the lives of faithful Christians you encounter? As we continue our Christmas season, which focuses on the Incarnation, make the words of the Baptist your own as you discover the ongoing presence of our Lord made possible through the Incarnation.
My awe-inspiring Lord, because of Your Incarnation, You continue to be present in this world, coming to us and drawing us to Yourself. When Your cousin, John the Baptist, first saw the Holy Spirit descend upon You in the desert, he cried out, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Please give me the eyes of faith I need to echo that cry as I encounter Your divine presence in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.