Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A

Collect 

Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace on our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reflection

Each year, the Gospel and the readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time continue to unfold the theme of the Epiphany where God revealed Himself to humanity: to all nations represented by the three wise men and again at Our Lord’s Baptism where the mystery of the Trinity is revealed, namely that God has always been one God in three Persons, who is love itself. Therefore, on this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, the liturgy continues to develop its theme through passages from the first two chapters of the Gospel according to John.  At the same time, we transition to the normality and calm of the green liturgical colour that reflects the life of the Church and the rhythm of everyday life, which takes time to grow and mature.

In Year A, our current liturgical year, we have a Gospel reading that almost repeats what was proclaimed on the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. However, it differs from the accounts given of the Baptism of Our Lord found in Matthew, Mark and Luke, (these Gospels are called synoptic). The author of the fourth Gospel gives us John the Baptist’s perspective of this event: he describes how he experienced this event and how it led him to recognise that the One who had come to him for baptism was not stained by sin like others, but was the Lamb of God, without sin, who came to take away the sin of the world because He is the Son of God.

To give an account of this, the Evangelist places on the Baptist’s lips a series of verbs that are important in our faith journey as we being, from next Sunday, walking with Jesus through the Gospel according to Mark.

John the Baptist continually emphasises that he saw something extraordinary before him, not with bodily eyes, but in the light of the One who had sent him to baptise, who is God Himself. John did not remain bound to what is spectacular and lovely, as we often do especially during the recent Christmas season, when we feel tempted to remain attached to what is visible and makes us happy. There is nothing wrong with that in itself, but there is the temptation of remaining where we are without going deeper into the real meaning of these celebrations. When John saw the Spirit descending upon Jesus, he understood that He is the Son of God.

Doves are a common sight, and sometimes we wish that we see fewer of them, especially if you are responsible for cleaning large buildings such as churches. As Christians, we must learn to look through the eyes of John the Baptist so that we can see in which areas God is working and where He is not; to see if what seems good and fruitful is truly the good that must be done; to see where we are trying to steal the show instead of allowing God to be at the centre.

Another verb emphasised by John is said, meaning that he not only sees reality from God’s perspective, a view that opens a broad horizon and leads to understanding, but also that he understands, recognises and gives witness to it. This witness meant that, little by little, the attention would not remain upon the one who baptised with water, only as a sign of repentance, and as an avenue for God to enter, but would shift upon Him who Baptises with the Holy Spirit: Christ Himself. Jesus who not only leads others to repentance and conversion, but also forgives and grants salvation, because He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we desire that, like John, the verbs ‘saw’, ‘said’ and ‘witnessed’ guide our Christian life so that it would not be simply pietistic and devotional, but as an authentic Christian life shaped in your image, Jesus of Nazareth. So that we may stand out not for our own sake, but to make you known, so that, like John, we will not draw attention to ourselves, but raise our hands and point towards You, as the One who alone can grant forgiveness and Salvation. Amen.