REFLECTIONS: FR. JUDE'S -- SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

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10-1-05 (Jan. 10, 05)

Dear Friend,
Generally, before we enter into a conversation or relationship with a
stranger or unknown person we introduce ourselves, or better still, wait to
be introduced by someone mutually known to both parties. For important
occasions and situations we even have a public relations person, who takes
on the job and builds a good image of the person concerned. The way we are
perceived or presented to others can influence people's reactions to us.
Today Jesus is introduced to the public by John the Baptist. We too are
called to introduce Jesus to others. Have an enjoyable weekend introducing
Jesus! -Fr. Jude

Sunday Reflections: Second Sunday of the Year Behold the Lamb of God 16-1-05
Readings: Isaiah 49: 3.5-6; 1 Corinthians 1: 1-3; John 1: 29-34;
In the first reading the passage from Isaiah, is an excerpt from the Servant
of Yahweh songs, introducing the promised one as the servant of God, who
would lead his people to reconciliation with God. Possibly in the context of
the Exile, this meant the restoration of the people to their land and the
resumption of their worship in the temple. The task of the Servant was not
limited to Israel but would extend to all peoples. This would prefigure the
mission of Jesus and would also be understood as the mission of the
Christian community, to proclaim salvation to all peoples. By his life the
servant of Yahweh would be the light of the nations enlightening all the
peoples and leading them from all the ends of the earth back to God. In
Jesus this light of hope was given to the whole world.
The light of hope
King Alexander of Macedonia, who, in his day, conquered land after land,
used to observe a certain procedure. Whenever his army was encamped outside
a heavily walled city or fortress, he would have a lighted lantern hung up
where it was visible day and night. He would then let the besieged
inhabitants know that as long as the lantern kept burning, they had a chance
to change their mind. But if the lantern was smashed and its light
extinguished, then the city and all it contained would be mercilessly
destroyed. And he kept his promise. If the lantern was smashed to pieces,
all hope was gone. The Macedonians would storm the city, kill any person who
could bear arms, and then ransack and destroy the city. Its time of grace
was over.
Willi Hoffsuemmer
The response Psalm reminds us of the attitude of the Servant of Yahweh,
which should also be the attitude of every believer: "Here I am Lord! I come
to do your will... I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me... You do
not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead, here am I."
In the second reading St. Paul hints at his authority as an apostle when he
writes to a troubled community. He also underlines the fundamental love and
peace that should guide them. The Corinthians had many doubts and questions
about how they should lead their faith life and they turned to their leader
in faith for guidance and direction. There were also divisions among them
and so Paul speaks of the need to follow Jesus and his example alone and
exhorts them to be united and to live in harmony and peace. If they are true
followers they have to be united to the one Lord and witness to their common
faith in Jesus. We witness to Jesus not merely by our words but by how we
live.
In the gospel of today we see John the Baptist doing a P.R. job for Jesus,
he introduces Jesus to his disciples and to the crowds that followed him.
Jesus was at the beginning of his public ministry and could have been seen
as an intruder and an illegal competitor to John. John's own disciples might
have feared that Jesus would draw the crowds away from John towards himself
by his preaching. There could have been jealousy and division and this
calamity had to be stopped at once. John takes charge of the situation he
introduces Jesus and tells the followers who he is and what he stands for.
He is unafraid to speak the truth though he knows the consequences: He must
increase and Jesus must decrease; Jesus will occupy centre stage and John
will be sidelined and later silenced.

John witnessed to Jesus as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the
world. This lamb could be a reminder of the Day of Atonement, when the
temple priest symbolically placed the sins of the community on the lamb's
head, and the lamb, laden with the sins of the people, was sent into the
desert. Is this the kind of thing John had in mind? Jesus would accept the
burden of our sins and through his death obtain our salvation. Jesus could
also be seen as the Paschal lamb. As the original paschal lamb's blood
delivered the Israelites from the destroying angel, so Jesus would bring
liberation by interceding on behalf of humankind.

Secondly, John affirms the preexistence of Jesus. John humbly acknowledges
the greatness of Jesus. "This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is
coming after me who ranks before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it
was to reveal to Israel that I came baptizing with water." John points out
that his own task was to bear witness and to prepare the way for the coming
of Jesus. John is able to introduce Jesus as he knows him. He does not see
Jesus as a threat, as a usurper of his own popularity, he is able to
acknowledge Jesus for what he truly is: the son of God. John is a man of
honesty, integrity and faith and he is able to see Jesus for what he truly is.

We see people as we are..
Once upon a time there was a king who called one of his servants. The
servant was known to be a cruel, mean man who had no friends. The king said
to him, "I want you to go and travel the length and breadth of my kingdom
and find me a truly good person." The man went. In the course of his travels
he met and spoke with a great number of people. However, after a long time
he came back to the king saying, "I have searched the whole kingdom as you
asked me, but I couldn't find even one truly good person. All of them
without exception are mean, cruel, deceitful and evil. The good person you
seek in nowhere to be found." Then the king called another servant. This man
was known for his generosity and kindness and was loved by everyone. The
king said to him, "Go and travel the length and breadth of my kingdom and
find for me a truly wicked person." The man went and traveled far and wide.
But after a long time he returned to the king saying, "I have failed in the
task you gave me to do. I found people who are misguided, people who are
mislead, people who act in blindness or in passion, but nowhere could I find
a truly evil person. All of them are good at heart, despite the bad things
they have done." -We see people not as they are but as we are.
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies'

Lastly John the Baptist calls Jesus the chosen one of God. He points out
Jesus. "The man on whom you see the Holy Spirit come down and rest is the
one who is going to baptize with the Holy Spirit." John adds his own
personal testimony. "Yes I have seen and I am witness that he is the Chosen
one of God." Like John every Christian is called to introduce Jesus to
others. A Christian is called to be a witness of the life, death and
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will be able to fulfill our
mission in the measure that we have seen and experienced Jesus in our lives;
in the measure that we ready to let him take first place in our lives. He
must increase and we must decrease. People will believe us in the measure
that our lives are a living testimony to the presence of the living spirit
living, guiding and acting in us every day of our lives.

May our lives and actions speak of Jesus!

Fr. Jude Botelho
jude@netforlife.plus.com

PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my website:
www.netforlife.net Thank you!