OT II [A] Homily: Readings: Isaiah 49:3, 5–6; 1 Corinthians 1:1–3; John 1:29–34

John the Baptist has been a constant presence in our liturgy for several weeks, and he appears again in today’s Gospel. John is about as far from a celebrity as one can get. He was not interested in saying, “Look at me,” but rather in proclaiming, “Look at him—look at Jesus.” He declares in today’s Gospel, “It was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptizing with water.”

Many people went out to the wilderness to see John; he had his own followers and considerable influence. Yet John consistently deflected attention away from himself toward the One who, as he says, “ranks before me because he existed before me.” His opening words remain his most powerful—“Look, there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” In essence, he invites everyone: “Look at him; go to him; follow him.”

In contrast, our culture often urges us to say, “Look at me, be like me.” Yet John’s voice continues to echo through the centuries, calling us instead to look toward Jesus—to go to him and become like him. His words, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” echo in every Eucharist. Just before Communion, the priest lifts up the consecrated host and repeats those same words. At that moment, we are invited, with the eyes of faith, to behold the Lord. Then we come forward to receive him, responding “Amen” as our personal act of faith. The Eucharist is the moment when we do all that John calls us to do: look upon the Lord, go to him, recognize him, and receive him.

John gives Jesus a startling title—“the Lamb of God.” He does not call him “Messiah,” though he is; nor “King of Kings,” though he is that as well. John chooses “Lamb,” because for him this captures Jesus’ mission—to take away the sins of the world. The lamb is the meekest of creatures. John could have spoken of the “Lion of Judah,” but he points instead to the lamb, linking Jesus to Isaiah’s Suffering Servant who was “like a lamb led to the slaughter” (Is 53:7). At the same time, John’s title looks forward to the Book of Revelation, where the Lamb who was slain now reigns in glory.

Calling Jesus “the Lamb of God” draws our focus to his sacrifice, which opens God’s plan of salvation. Even his name, Jesus, means “Yahweh saves.” The Word became flesh not simply to teach us wisdom or inspire us morally, but to save us—to restore God’s own life within humanity. Since the beginning, humankind has forfeited that divine life by rejecting God. The sin of Adam was the refusal to depend on God, the illusion that we could be “like God” on our own. Jesus comes as the Lamb who bears this sin, reconciling us to the Father and restoring the life we lost.

John’s entire life pointed beyond himself. His mission was to lead others to recognize Jesus as “the Chosen One of God.” He even directed his own disciples toward Jesus, humbly declaring, “He must increase; I must decrease.” Great as John was, he shaped his life around making way for someone greater.

We can all think of people who, at crucial moments, have pointed us in the right direction—teachers, parents, mentors, friends—those who helped us see what we could not yet see for ourselves. Good guides do not force us; they invite us. John did not command his followers to abandon him and join Jesus. He simply said, “Look, there is the Lamb of God.” Those who point us toward truth do so out of compassion and insight, not control. Their respect for our freedom echoes God’s own respect for human choice. Not everyone John pointed toward Jesus became a disciple, but he still invited faithfully.

Today we give thanks for the John the Baptist figures in our own lives—those who, through word and example, pointed us toward the light of Christ and remained patient even when we failed to follow. At the same time, we remember that the Lord calls each of us to be a John the Baptist for others. Our baptism gives us that vocation: to bear witness to Jesus and to help others find him.

None of us journeys to God alone. God works through people to guide us, and he uses us to guide others. We depend on this mutual support to stay on the path that leads to Christ. We can either help others walk that path or, tragically, be a stumbling block to them. Jesus reserved some of his harshest words for those who led others astray—those who, as he said, “put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me.” To guide others toward Christ is to participate in the very mission of the Gospel; to lead them away is to oppose it.

Faith is deeply personal, but it is never meant to be private. Genuine faith always faces outward; it seeks to witness, serve, and love. Jesus told his disciples, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” The prophet Isaiah, in today’s first reading, experienced a similar awakening when God expanded his mission. Isaiah thought his call was limited to Israel, but God told him, “It is too little for you to be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob. I will make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.” God’s vision is always larger than ours—always reaching beyond what we expect.

Today’s Gospel, then, leads us into a deeper understanding of the Eucharist and of who Jesus truly is. Each time we come to communion, we approach not just a symbol or a sacred ritual, but the living Christ—the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We behold him, receive him, and carry him within us, so that through us his light might touch the lives of others.

Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

Pray for those of our loved ones who have wandered from the practice of the Catholic faith, walking far from Christ and his sacraments.​ Obtain for them, Lord, a true conversion of heart, a hunger for truth,
and a living desire for the Holy Eucharist and the mercy of God in confession. We pray to the Lord.