Christmas Weekday
Our Gospel today continues the story of John the Baptist and his ministry as prophet and witness to our Lord Jesus Christ. We read, “The next day he [John] saw Jesus coming toward him . . .” And then we receive John’s stunning words, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” I wonder if you’ve ever stopped to fully consider the eternal significance of this earth-shattering statement and its implications for you, personally, as well as for all of humanity.
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Hopefully as you read these words, you’re recalling the Communion Rite during Mass. Like John’s audience would have, our minds also turn to several biblical texts, namely the Passover account, celebrating God’s liberation of ancient Israel through the Exodus; the many Old Testament texts describing the temple’s sacrificial system in which lambs as well as other animals were offered to God in worship; and the Suffering Servant section of Isaiah (which Jesus himself references, self-identifying as the “lamb led to slaughter.”) We also recall several New Testament passages that name Jesus as the new Passover Lamb, whose sacrificial death accomplishes deliverance from sin and reconciliation with God (for all these references, see Catechism of the Catholic Church 608). But for this reflection I invite us to dive deeply into the Eucharist.
During the Communion Rite of the Mass, after we sing (or say) the Agnus Dei, we fall to our knees in awe, wonder, worship, and adoration before God. (Just prior, during “the fraction,” the priest broke the bread and placed a small piece into the chalice symbolizing the unity of the body and blood of Christ.) He elevates both body and blood and states, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world, blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.” We, the faithful, respond, “Lord, I am not worthy . . .” I pause here to ask you, what are you typically doing at this point in the Mass? Where is your mind and what are your thoughts? Where is your heart and how is it oriented? When the priest proclaims, Behold the Lamb of God, where are you in that moment? Are you fully present and recollected, or are you typically distracted, your mind wandering to and fro? Maybe your thoughts are consumed at that moment with your own needs and desires. Pause for a moment to consider.
My question for us today is this: do we seek to behold the Lamb of God as we kneel before him? Do we seek to quiet our minds and enlarge our hearts in order to be as fully present as possible to our prayer and to God? Do we exercise our will and engage our senses and faculties to the best of our ability in order to participate with the priest and the entire Body of Christ in offering this holy and living Sacrifice to the Father? Christ, who is both Priest and Victim, is present to us on the altar. Jesus Christ our Lord is present in his body, blood, soul, and divinity! We might ask ourselves, are we present to him? As the priest elevates the body and blood, we behold Someone, not something. This is your Savior made present to you; this is he who saves you and restores you to fellowship with the Father; this is he who opens the way to eternal life for you; this is he who calls you friend and makes it possible for you to become an adopted son or daughter through Baptism. Behold him; behold him!
During every Mass, Christ’s salvific work on the Cross is re-presented to us. In this marvelous mystery, it is an active remembering – not harkening back to recall an historic event, but actually in a sacramental way, bringing Christ’s work on the Cross forward and making it real and present to us. Every time I go forward to receive Communion, I think about how my sins sent Christ to suffer and die on the Cross; my guilt, sin, and shame pounded nails into his hands and feet. This is the reality that I must consider as I behold the Lamb of God. And yet . . . and yet! Our resurrected and ascended Lord immediately, in his merciful love, invites me to his Table, to the banquet that is the Eucharistic Feast! Such love is too incredible to comprehend! Such mercy is beyond human understanding! Recently during Mass as I prayed the response, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof . . .” I perceived him to say to me, “I know you’re not, but would you please let me enter? Please come to my Table.” I invite you to marvel in the miracle that occurs for us in every Mass! Behold the Lamb of God!
As I behold him who bestows such unfathomable forgiveness, love, and mercy, I must also consider my brother or my sister who has offended me. As I behold the Lamb of God, who died for my sins and then immediately invites me to his Table, I must consider my own heart and examine my conscience. If I’m harboring any unforgiveness toward my neighbor, I need to bring it to the foot of the Cross. How can I possibly withhold forgiveness from another, as I behold the Lamb of God who died for me and for my neighbor? I pray today that we might receive the grace we need to become more like the One whom we behold on the altar and to participate in his atoning mission.
{For a deeper understanding of the Mass, I highly recommend a series of blog posts, A Walk through the Mass, available on the National Eucharistic Revival website. The post related to today’s topic can be found here. You can readily find the entire series under the “read” tab at the top of the page.}
I’ll see you in the Eucharist,
Elizabeth Wells