Sunday the 18th of January 2026 - The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6/ Ps 40(39)/ 1 Corinthians 1:1-3/ John 1:29-34

As the memory of Christmas recedes we are called to recognise who the baby born in a stable so long ago is and what he means to us in our lives. John the Baptist gives us the answer with the words: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." These words are so familiar to us, we hear them at every Mass. The priest lifts the consecrated host and makes John's proclamation: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world." Do we really grasp what we are being shown? Do we truly see who John was pointing out? We are being called to shift our gaze from a newborn baby wrapped in swaddling clothes to a piece of bread held above the altar, from the warmth of a stable in Bethlehem to the mystery of the Eucharist. Who is it that we are seeing in the small piece of bread?

The prophet Isaiah gives us a clue in the first reading. He speaks of a mysterious servant, someone chosen by God to bring salvation not just to Israel, but to the ends of the earth. This is not to be some mighty warrior riding in on a powerful horse with sword in hand. No, this servant will accomplish his mission through suffering, humiliation, and what looks to the world like defeat. Jesus is that servant, the baby in the manger grows up to become the suffering servant who wins our salvation through the cross. This is the Lamb of God we are called to behold, to worship, to receive in Holy Communion.

Why is Jesus portrayed as a lamb, seemingly such a gentle, weak creature? In the book of Revelation Jesus is presented in glory, as a lamb that had been slain, an image that exhibits suffering and triumph, sacrifice and victory together. Just like the servant predicted by Isaiah, Jesus moves through suffering and death into justification and triumph. The image of the sacrificial lamb runs deep through salvation history. Jesus takes the place of countless lambs that were sacrificed daily in the temple, their blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins. We recall the Passover lamb, its blood marked the doorposts of the Israelites in Egypt, saving them from death and preparing them for liberation. We recall also Jeremiah's prophecy of "the gentle lamb led to the slaughterhouse," and Isaiah's lamb "led to the slaughter", both pointing towards the sacrifice made by Jesus. This is why Jesus is portrayed as the Lamb of God, a title that captures the love, the sacrifice, the triumph of our Saviour.

The second reading is the greeting from Paul in a letter to the church in Corinth. It might not appear to tell us much in those few short lines but there are strong parallels between this ancient city and our world today. Corinth was a turbulent place that stood at the crossroads between the eastern and western Mediterranean vital for shipping and trade. It was a successful trading city, but the cosmopolitan population were arrogant and quarrelsome, not so very different to what we find in our world today, a place that needed to be evangelised, that needed to have the Lamb of God pointed out to them.

The message for us is that we are called to be the John the Baptists of today. Called to be prophets pointing out Jesus to a world that is lost and confused, desperately searching for meaning. But before we can point others to Jesus, we need to be able to recognise Him ourselves. How do we do this? How do we see the Lamb of God? Through prayer, real conversation with Jesus, through reading Scripture, letting God's Word sink deep into our hearts, through the teachings of the Church, the rich treasury of wisdom handed down along the centuries, and especially through receiving Him in Holy Communion, the intimate personal encounter where Jesus becomes one with us.

In baptism, we became disciples of Jesus, this is not a one off event, discipleship is a lifelong journey of growth. We must continually deepen our faith so that we can be effective witnesses for Jesus. Being a witness is not passive, it requires courage, faith, and action, we cannot be witnesses from the safety and comfort of our homes and churches while the world falls apart around us. The world is desperate for what only Jesus can offer. People need redemption, love, and peace. We have been given the answer, we know the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, we can point Him out to the world.

How can we be prophets in our corner of the world? How can we point out Jesus to others? It might be through a word of encouragement to a struggling colleague, it might be through an act of mercy towards someone written off by others, it might be through standing up for justice when it would be easier to stay silent, it might be through showing patience when we think we have reached the end of our tether. These are the ways we fulfil our calling as prophets for today, the ways we bring the gifts of Jesus to others. His love, peace, justice, patience, His mercy. Gifts that the world desperately needs today.

In preparation to receive the Lamb of God in this church today, let us pray that our hearts are ready, that we can truly see who it is we are receiving. Let us ask for the grace and courage to point others to Him, to be His witnesses, to be the prophets our world so desperately needs. In a short time, our priest will raise the consecrated host and say, "Behold the Lamb of God." When we hear those words today, let us remember to really behold Him, See the baby in the manger, see the suffering servant, see the Passover Lamb, see the risen Lord, see our Saviour who loves us beyond measure and who calls us to follow Him and make Him known to our world. Let the response to the psalm be our response to being shown the Lamb of God, ‘I have come, Lord, to do your will’ and we will be the light to the nations foretold by Isaiah.

God Bless Brendan