Reading 1
Is 49:3, 5-6
The LORD said to me: You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
Responsorial PsalmR. (8a and 9a)
Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Reading 2
1 Cor 1:1-3
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel
Jn 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jes
us 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 testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
Meditation: John 1:29-34
“Behold, the Lamb of God.” (John 1:29)
A young man just out of college, Joe was searching for God. He didn’t belong to any church, but he had an open mind. On Christmas Eve, of all days, he decided to go to a Catholic Mass. He didn’t understand most of what was going on, but when the priest held up the host and said: “This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” a light went on for him. He knew, without knowing how, that this was Jesus on the altar!
John the Baptist, the first to utter these words, had a similar experience. He had been preparing for the Messiah’s coming all his life, but he had no idea what the Messiah would look like. So how did he figure out that it was none other than his kinsman, the carpenter’s son? As he tells his listeners, it was the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). Can you imagine what kind of emotions John felt at that moment? “Excited” couldn’t begin to describe it!
As a preparation for Mass today, try dwelling on these words of John the Baptist. How amazing it is that at every Eucharist, we are visited by the Lamb of God! The mere fact of his presence in the bread and wine is stupendous. It’s a mystery we can’t possibly explain, except to say that his love is so powerful that it transcends space, time, and even matter.
But perhaps even more amazing is the fact that, like John, we can recognize Jesus. Our natural senses won’t reveal him, but the Holy Spirit will. So as you go to receive communion, thank Jesus for this gift of faith. It’s the best gift anyone can receive, for it’s the key to all the other gifts God has for us. With his love and strength to sustain us, we have nothing to fear—and everything to hope for!
“Thank you, Lord, that I can know your presence in the Eucharist! May this knowledge fill me with zeal to love and serve you always.”
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Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(Isaiah 49:3,5-6; Psalm 40:2,4,7-10; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34)
1. More than being just servants, Isaiah describes the role of the chosen people as being restorers and “a light to the nations”. We as Catholics are also called to be a light to others. How can you participate in the role of restoration by bringing Christ’s love and light to others? What about someone you know who has fallen away from the Church? How can you help to bring him/her back?
2. The response in the responsorial psalm is, “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.” The psalmist says that he did this when he proclaims: “I announced your justice to the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O Lord, know.” In what other ways did the psalmist do God’s will? In what ways can you be more sensitive and obedient to God’s will for your life?
3. In addition, the psalmist speaks of the Lord’s will as his “delight”. What parts of the Lord’s will for your life are a “delight” for you? What parts are not a “delight” for you, and what steps can you take to change this?
4. In the second reading, Paul addresses us as those who are “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy”, which means “set apart” for the Lord. Do you see yourself as called by the Lord to be holy? Why or why not? What do you see as the obstacles to being holy and how can you overcome them?
5. The Gospel today speaks of being baptized with (immersed into) the Holy Spirit. This happened most notably at your Baptism and again at Confirmation. How conscious are you during the day that the very life, power, and love of God dwell within you through the Holy Spirit? What are some steps you can take to open your self to this truth, and be more sensitive to the leadings of the Spirit?
6. In the next few weeks, as the meditation suggests, before each Mass try dwelling, with expectant faith, on the words of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). Share the fruits from doing this with others.
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