Friday, January 3, 2025

Christmas Weekday

(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)

In a movie about the aftermath of War II a young German woman works for the American officer conducting an investigation.  She is the daughter of a German colonel who was executed for having attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler.  When Germans coming for an interview hear her last name, they ask if she was related to the colonel.  As soon as she answers that he was her father, they stop and acknowledge her father’s sacrifice. The colonel was held in high esteem for his courage.

A similar recognition takes place in today’s gospel. John, seeing Jesus coming his way, stops and pays him homage.  He calls Jesus “the Lamb of God,’ who will be sacrificed to “take away the sin of the world.”  Of course, he is the first human to recognize Jesus as the Son of God.  This is the Gospel of John.  In Luke’s gospel John is also the first human to recognize Jesus as  the Christ, but there he does so as an infant in his mother’s womb.

As important as the Incarnation is, it cannot be separated from the sacrifice Jesus will make on our behalf.  We also must stop to recognize who this newborn babe, who has brought us so much joy, is.  He is the one who will be crucified so that we might be freed of our sins.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)

All the gospels feature John the Baptist near their beginning.  However, none picture John in quite the same way.  In the Gospel of Mark John does not know who is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit is.  In John’s gospel, the Baptist points to Jesus as he.

Mark claims that John’s baptism forgives sins.  So what more can Baptism with the Holy Spirit do?  It makes the baptized children of God, heirs of heaven, and temples of the Spirit on earth.  Knowing that Christians can act viciously, one may think the gospel is a fantasy.  But a person may devolve after becoming a child of God.  He or she may lose sanctity through serious sin. 

Living a spiritual life, we take Baptismal sanctity seriously.  We strive to act like the person we have become.  With the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can succeed in this endeavor as sure as we can learn to read.

Sunday, January 15, 2023

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Isaiah 49:3.5-6; I Corinthians 3:1-3; John 1:29-34)

One of his city’s best trial lawyers was once asked: What is the most important thing for winning a court case? Is it a fair judge? Is it a sympathetic jury? Is it a good support team? The lawyer promptly responded. "No, the most important thing to win a court case is one credible witness." In the gospel today we find such a witness in the case of Jesus.

John is a man of conviction. He doesn't waver so that his answer one day is this and the next day is that.  John also doesn't care about anything less than the truth. He lives on locusts and wild honey so that he cannot be bribed with any material thing. He does not try to please people but only God. He recognizes his task as preparing Israel for the coming of the Lord’s chosen one.

When he sees Jesus in today’s gospel, John testifies that he is the one, “the Lamb of God…” He means that Jesus is going to give himself up to death as a sacrifice to take away the sin that infects the world. He testifies that Jesus has the Holy Spirit which makes him the Son of God. Jesus imparts the same Spirit to us in Baptism. We have received the Spirit so that we might fulfill the will of God. 

We have just lost one of the great witnesses of our time. Pope Benedict XVI like John lived to bear witness to Jesus Christ. Benedict was a man of truth. He did not seek the favorable opinion of the press or of politicians. In a famous statement he criticized "liberation theology," which was the fashion in theology in the last quarter of the twentieth century. At the time, he was in charge of the Vatican department for matters of faith. The then Cardinal Ratzinger did not condemn liberation theology but warned its adherents that if they professed liberation only from social oppression and not also from personal sin, they would not be faithful to the gospel.

Benedict was also a person of humility. As he grew weak, he did not hold onto the office of pope. Although he had the world's attention, he resigned from the papacy when he realized that he could not carry out its responsibilities well.

Because he came from Germany after many years of rigorous study, Benedict's personality was reserved. But he was not cold and much less ruthless as was sometimes said of him. An American priest remembers meeting him in a receiving line when he came to New York on a papal visit. The priest says that although the line was long, Benedict extended his hand to him and presumably to everyone else, looking into each person’s eyes. His observation of Pope Benedict confirms what his biographer said about his manners. When waiting to see him on his first visit, Cardinal Ratzinger came to him personally and extended his hand in a friendly manner.

More than before, we need testimony like that of Pope Benedict. In fact, it is necessary for all of us mass goers bear witness to Jesus Christ. The world is losing its good sense in a flood of overconcern about oneself. Secularism has eliminated reference to God as an authority outside of the person. Individualism has facilitated tragedies such as the breakdown of the nuclear family. And relativism has produced contradictions like gender change and gay marriage. Christ compels us to love those who think and act differently. But he also teaches us that there are transcendent truths to be defended despite what others think.

Pope Benedict died with a testimony of his love for Jesus on his lips. His last words were: "Jesus, I love you." Perhaps we could bear witness to Jesus by rehearsing what we want to be our final words. After saying goodbye to our loved ones, we would like to say something like: "I trust in you, O Lord." Let's repeat these words to another person every day. 

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Wednesday, Christmas Weekday

(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)

Paintings and statuettes of Jesus in the manger often have him with arms outstretched.  He seems to be welcoming the world to him.  But upon reconsideration there seems to be a better reason for picturing him so.  His arms are extended outward in anticipation of the crucifixion he will endure.  A similar motif runs through today’s gospel.

Upon seeing Jesus, John the Baptist exclaims, “’Behold the Lamb of God…’” He is not referring to Jesus’ meekness as if he acted like a lamb.  Rather the expression foresees Jesus being slain so that his disciples may be freed from sin.  This happens, of course, at the crucifixion on Good Friday.  Indeed, his death takes place in this Gospel of John at exactly the same hour when the paschal lambs are being slaughtered in the Temple.  As the Israelites in Egypt slayed a lamb to be saved from the destroying angel, Jesus’ death on the cross saves those who believe in him.

We have every reason to rejoice during this Christmas season.  Our savior has come to redeem us from sin.  But our rejoicing must be tempered.  For one thing, over-indulging would give counter testimony to our redemption from sin.  For another, we know that Christ has come to die on our behalf.  It would be shortsighted to separate completely the two events. 

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Wednesday, Christmas Weekday

(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)

It is not uncommon in Shakespearean drama to have the main character talked about before he is presented on stage.  This happens in Hamlet when the main character’s friends flirt with his father’s silent ghost and then say that Hamlet will make it speak.  In the Gospel of John, the most dramatic of the four, Jesus is likewise not present in the initial scene but is referenced by John the Baptist.  Today’s passage relates this opening scene.

John the Baptist first describes Jesus as “’…the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’” He means that Jesus’ sacrificial death will free humanity from the bondage of sin.  Then John refers to the younger Jesus as “’(A) man … who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” The peculiar statement refers to Jesus’ preexistence as God’s eternal Son.  Finally, the Baptist relates how he saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove.  This incident is meant to indicate that Jesus has the definitive power to bestow full life on a diseased people.  It is a very brief scene that telescopes all that Jesus will accomplish in the rest of the gospel.

As Christmas carols worthy of the name remind us, Jesus came to save us from the folly of our sins and the annihilation of death.  John the Baptist gives the same message here at the beginning of John’s gospel but without the soothing images of a babe at his mother’s side.  Yet our response should always resemble the song of the angels over Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest…” 

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Tuesday of the Second Week of Christmas

(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)

In 2007 when Barry Bonds surpassed Hank Aaron’s career homerun record, the latter made a statement of humility.  He said that he was proud to have held the record for thirty-three years but now would move over.  In the gospel today John the Baptist says something similar.

Evidently John the Baptist was celebrated as a major religious personage in first century Israel.  The gospels record people going from Jerusalem to the desert to hear him preach.  After two thousand years there remains a small group of people that regard the Baptist as God’s most eminent prophet.  But in all the gospels John recognizes Jesus as his superior.  The fourth gospel is the most emphatic.  In it John recognizes Jesus as the “’Son of God.’”

As much as we would celebrate ourselves or another, we like John the Baptist should always give priority to Jesus.  We need to remember as well that he can never be surpassed.  He is God’s definitive revelation because he is God.  Indeed, we measure all human achievement in the light of his.  “Yesterday, today, and forever,” writes the author of the Letter to the Hebrews. In this new year we want to keep our sights on him.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Friday, Christmas Weekday

(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)

It is not uncommon in a Shakespearean drama to have the main character talked about before he is presented on stage.  In the first scene of Hamlet, for example, the protagonist’s friends flirt with his father’s ghost and then say that he will make the ghost speak.  In the Gospel of John, the most dramatic of the four, Jesus is likewise not present in the initial scene but is referenced by John the Baptist.  Today’s passage relates this opening scene.

John the Baptist first describes Jesus as “’…the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,’” that is the one whose sacrificial death will free humanity from the bondage of sin.  Then he uses a paradox -- “’A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me’” – which refers Jesus’ preexistence as God’s eternal Son.  Finally, the Baptist relates how he saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove to indicate that he has the definitive power to bestow full life on a diseased people.  It is a very brief scene that telescopes all that Jesus will accomplish in the rest of the gospel.

As Christmas carols worthy of the name incessantly remind us, Jesus came to save us from the folly of our sins and the annihilation of death.  John the Baptist gives the same message here at the beginning of John’s gospel but without the soothing images of a babe at his mother’s side.  Yet our response should approximate the song of the angels over Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest…”