This Sermon is prepared by
Rev.Fr.Peter Jayakanthan sss
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
Corpus Christi Catholic Church,
Houston, Texas, US
2ndSunday of Ordinary YearLook up and Live up ……. the Lamb……!1Sam3:3-10, 19 1Cor6:13-15, 17-20 Jn1:35-42Dear Sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, we are in the ordinary season of the Liturgical year. We witness the terror and violent killing around the world, in the name of religion. Ordinary people and innocent children are victimized for no reason. The pain of the loved ones is beyond healing. We shall bring the emotions and suffering of those at today’s Eucharistic altar, that the Lamb of Jesus, the Body broken and the Bloodshed, may cleanse the world from violence and enmity. We shall constantly look up to the Lamb in order to live up.What do you miss in our churches that take you away to different prayer gatherings and meetings? The following responses were received from some: Communion consumes more time! It is lengthy! The priest’s homily is not scriptural! The Word of God was not given more time! Singing does not lead me to pray! The community consists of elderly people! They have more announcements! So we go to the new prayer groups to do what we like, and are leaving the church! There is no freedom to do what you like in Churches! All of these people, who responded, wanted to be the center of the church by wanting things to happen according them. The Eucharist is the free gift of Jesus, Who constantly comes to us, to be present, to be broken, and to be shared. So the Altar should be our focus; the Eucharistic sacrifice should be our focus. Our eyes and thoughts should not be on the Priest, or on structures, or on other people. Our ears can be attentive to the Word of God and prayers from liturgy, but our eyes should look up, and live up, only to the Lamb of God. Why do we look up primarily to the Lamb of God? Why do we keep praying, “Lamb of God”, before we go for Holy Communion? Today’s Gospel invites us to understand and realize that our call is to look up and live up, the Lamb of God. Then we are the children of God, and will enjoy the privileges of being brothers and sisters in Christ. In the Gospel of today, the Evangelist John teaches how John the Baptist shifted the attention, the call, and the life of the People, in particular his disciples. He is pointing out to Jesus as the Lamb, to be looked up, to be lived up, and to follow. His disciples were clinging to the mission of John the Baptist. People were lost with the routine temple sacrifices. How did they get lost? And, why is Jesus the Lamb to look for, and to be followed? We need to study the understandings of the Lamb in Scripture. The Lamb of God: This is the well-known term used by the people; it is used in Scripture many times. It is mentioned 29 times in the book of Revelation. John the Baptist used the word Lamb because the listeners were Jewish, and were well aware the various five understandings of Lamb. What are they? The Lamb of Atonement: (Lev 16:20-22) “Yom Kippur” is the feast and celebration of Atonement. A lamb was brought to the Temple; here the high priest by keeping his hand over the head of the lamb would transfer all the sins of the people to the lamb. Then the Lamb was sent to the wilderness, believing that it would be killed by some wild animal as the lamb takes away the sins of the Jews. The Lamb of Daily Atonement: (Ex.29: 38-42; Numbers 28: 1-8) refers to the daily sacrifice of the lamb offered on the black altar of the Temple everyday morning and evening. The priest offered morning sacrifice for the sins committed in the night, offered evening sacrifice for the sins of the day. The Paschal Lamb: (Ex12:11…..) refers to the historical Passover of the People of Israel. While the Egyptians’ first-born was killed, the Jewish first-born was saved by the passing by of an angel, as the doors of the People of Israel houses were sprinkled with the blood of a lamb. This is celebrated as the festival of the Passover with the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb. The Lamb of the Prophets: both of the prophets, Jeremiah and Isaiah, speak about “the gentle lamb led to the slaughter house” (Jer 11:19), and “like a lamb to the slaughter” (Is 53:7) about the salvation and liberation of the people. This image of Lamb refers to the passion and saving death and resurrection of Jesus. The Lamb of the conquerors: The popular victorious leaders Samuel and David were called as ‘horned lambs” by the historians. The picture of a horned lamb is used on the Jewish flag, to show the conquering power at the Maccabaean revolt and war. The above sacrifices were offered by priests: the animal was slaughtered; blood was sprinkled on the altar (holy of holies), and on the people. This practiced continued as mere ritual, and without contrition. Priests started selling and offering the lame and imperfect animals. It was said that before you could see Jerusalem, one could smell the slaughtering of animals. Sacrifice, slaughtering, and the act of the priest, remained as a performance and a cult. People were blind to their faith and religious practices. Here, John the Baptist who is from the priestly class, (whose father was a Temple priest), was pointing Jesus out to the crowd, telling them to follow Him, as He is the Temple, and He is The Lamb. How? People of Israel – OT Jerusalem Temple – the place of forgiveness, healing and teaching Animal slaughtered and killed; Taking the pain of sinfulness; Blood of the animal sprinkled, Flesh of the animal shared Jesus – people came to Him for forgiveness, healing and teaching Jesus carried (took away) the sins and pain of the humanity; Jesus body was broken, Jesus poured out His blood Eucharist (Church and Eucharistic Altar) is the place of forgiveness, healing and teaching. Jesus becomes present to take away our struggle Jesus’ body eaten -shared – communion Jesus blood is consumed Here, John the Baptist told his disciples, ‘my mission is over, don’t go after the Jerusalem Temple and meaningless practices; rather, Here is Jerusalem, Here is the Temple, and Here is the Lamb; follow Him and continue His mission.’ Perhaps: We are commissioned by John to follow Jesus, the Lamb, to live up In Him, Through Him, and With Him. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus the Lamb is offered by the priest on the Altar, to heal our offenses, bringing pardon and forgiveness to the whole world, and to shower upon us, like the dewfall, graces and blessings to live up This Lamb of God, Jesus. Samuel too, was called, as he dwelt and slept in the presence of God at the Ark of the Covenant. Do we come to the Eucharist to follow the Lamb of God? Are we aware of our participation with Jesus’ Body and Blood when we consume and drink, by saying Amen? We shall bring all our pain and struggle, and offer it to Jesus who takes it away at every Offering of forgiveness, healing and teaching of love-Amen. 
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