Daily Reflections for Ordinary Time Weeks 1–17: Catholic Daily Reflections Series Two

By John Paul Thomas

"My Catholic Life!" now offers two complete four-volume series of daily Gospel reflections that cover the entire liturgical year. Each four-volume series can be used from year to year since every Gospel option is covered in each series. "Daily Reflections for Ordinary Time: Weeks 1-17" is Volume Three in the second four-volume series. As a devotional, it is a great resource for daily meditation and prayer offering reflections on the Gospel of the day in a practical, faithful, and down-to-earth way. It is formatted in such a way that it can be used for any liturgical year, offering reflections on every Gospel option, including Sunday Years A, B & C, every daily Mass option, and all Feasts and Solemnities.

Note: Some of the weekday reflections in this series were first published in book form for Ordinary Time 2021. This new and updated version contains all new Sunday reflections for Years A, B & C as well as other new weekday reflections.

Like the first series, the books in this second series are as follows:
Catholic Daily Reflections: Series Two:
1. Advent and Christmas
2. Lent and Easter
3. Ordinary Time: Weeks 1–17
4. Ordinary Time: Weeks 18–34

All reflections are available free of charge from our website, through our mobile app, or through our daily email service. Both of the complete four-volume series are also available in paperback and eBook format.

• Language: English
• Publisher: My Catholic Life Inc.
• Release date: Sep 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005078201

John Paul Thomas

"John Paul Thomas" is the pen name this Catholic priest chose in honor of the Apostles Saints John and Thomas and the great evangelist Saint Paul. This name also evokes the memory of the great Pope Saint John Paul II.John is the beloved apostle who sought out a deeply personal and intimate relationship with his Savior. Hopefully the writings in this book point us all to a deeply personal and intimate relationship with our God. May John be a model of this intimacy and love.Thomas is also a beloved apostle and close friend of Jesus but is well known for his lack of faith in Jesus' resurrection. Though he ultimately entered into a profound faith crying out, "my Lord and my God," he is given to us as a model of our own weakness of faith. Thomas should inspire us to always return to faith when we realize we have doubted.As a Pharisee, Paul severely persecuted the early Christian Church. However, after going through a powerful conversion, he went on to become the great evangelist to the gentiles, founding many new communities of believers and writing many letters contained in Sacred Scripture. His letters are deeply personal and reveal a shepherd's heart. He is a model for all as we seek to embrace our calling to spread the Gospel.

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Table of Contents

First Week in Ordinary Time

Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Friday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Second Week in Ordinary Time

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Third Week in Ordinary Time

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Feasts and Solemnities

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle, January 25

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, February 2

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, February 22

Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle, May 14

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, May 31

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, June 24

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29

Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle, July 3

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, July 22

Feast of Saint James, Apostle, July 25

Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, July 29

Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church—Monday after Pentecost

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Additional Books in This Series

First Week in Ordinary Time

A Time to Repent and Believe

Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:

This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel. Mark 1:14–15

We have now completed our Advent and Christmas Seasons, and thus we begin the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time must be lived in our lives in both an ordinary and extraordinary way.

First of all, we begin this liturgical season with an extraordinary calling from God. In the Gospel passage above, Jesus begins His public ministry by proclaiming that The Kingdom of God is at hand. But He then goes on to state that, as a result of the new presence of the Kingdom of God, we must repent and believe.

It’s important to understand that the Incarnation, which we especially celebrated in Advent and Christmas, changed the world forever. Now that God had united Himself with human nature in the Person of Jesus Christ, God’s new Kingdom of grace and mercy was at hand. Our world and our lives are changed because of what God did. And as Jesus began His public ministry, He begins to inform us through His preaching of this new reality.

The public ministry of Jesus, as it is transmitted to us through the inspired Word of the Gospels, presents to us the very Person of God and the foundation of His new Kingdom of grace and mercy. It presents us with the extraordinary calling of holiness of life and an unwavering and radical commitment to following Christ. Thus, as we begin Ordinary Time, it’s good to be reminded of our duty to immerse ourselves in the message of the Gospel and to respond to it without reserve.

But this calling to an extraordinary way of life must ultimately become ordinary. In other words, our radical calling to follow Christ must become who we are. We must see the extraordinary as our ordinary duty in life.

Reflect, today, upon the beginning of this new liturgical season. Use it as an opportunity to remind yourself of the importance of both daily studying and prayerfully pondering the public ministry of Jesus and all He taught. Recommit yourself to a faithful reading of the Gospel so that it becomes an ordinary part of your daily life.

My precious Jesus, I thank You for all You have spoken and revealed to us through Your public ministry. Strengthen me during this new liturgical season of Ordinary Time to devote myself to the reading of Your holy Word, so that all that You have taught us becomes an ordinary part of my daily life. Jesus, I trust in You.

Confronting the Evil One

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God! Jesus rebuked him and said, Quiet!  Come out of him! Mark 1:23–25

There were numerous times when Jesus directly confronted demons in the Scriptures. Each time He rebuked them and exercised His authority over them. The passage above illustrates one such case.

The fact that the devil shows himself over and over in the Gospels tells us that the evil one is real and needs to be dealt with appropriately. And the appropriate way to deal with the evil one and his fellow demons is to rebuke them with the authority of Christ Jesus Himself in a calm but definitive and authoritative way.

It’s very rare that the evil one makes himself fully manifest to us in the way that he did in the passage above to Jesus. The demon speaks directly through this man, which indicates that the man was fully possessed. And though we do not see this form of manifestation often, it doesn’t mean that the evil one is any less active today. Instead, it shows that the authority of Christ is not being exercised by the Christian faithful to the extent that is necessary to combat the evil one. Instead, we often cower in the face of evil and fail to confidently and charitably stand our ground with Christ.

Why did this demon manifest himself in such a visible way? Because this demon was directly confronted with the authority of Jesus. The devil usually prefers to remain hidden and deceptive, presenting himself as an angel of light so that his evil ways are not known clearly. Those whom he controls often do not even know how much they are influenced by the evil one. But when the evil one is confronted with the pure presence of Christ, with the Truth of the Gospel that sets us free, and with Jesus’ authority, this confrontation often forces the evil one to react by manifesting his evil.

Reflect, today, upon the fact that the evil one is constantly at work all around us. Consider the people and circumstances in your life where the pure and holy Truth of God is attacked and rejected. It is in those situations, more than any other, that Jesus wants to bestow upon you His divine authority to confront evil, rebuke it and take authority over it. This is primarily done through prayer and deep trust in the power of God. Don’t be afraid to allow God to use you to confront the activity of the evil one in this world.

Lord, give me courage and wisdom when I face the activity of the evil one in this world. Give me wisdom to discern his hand at work and give me courage to confront and rebuke him with Your love and authority. May Your authority be alive in my life, Lord Jesus, and may I daily become a better instrument of the coming of Your Kingdom as I confront the evil present in this world. Jesus, I trust in You.

More Demons Driven Out

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.  Mark 1:32–34

Today we read that Jesus once again drove out many demons… The passage then adds, …not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Why would Jesus not permit these demons to speak? Many of the early Church fathers explain that even though the demons had an understanding that Jesus was the promised Messiah, they did not understand fully what that meant and how He would accomplish His ultimate victory. Therefore, Jesus did not want them to speak only half-truths about Him, as the evil one often does, thus misleading the people. So Jesus always forbade these demons from speaking about Him publicly.

It’s important to understand that all of the demonic spirits failed to understand the full truth that it would be Jesus’ death that ultimately destroys death itself and sets all people free. For that reason, we see that these diabolical forces continually conspired against Jesus and tried to attack Him throughout His life. They stirred up Herod when Jesus was a baby, which forced Him into exile in Egypt. Satan himself tempted Jesus just prior to the beginning of His public ministry so as to try to dissuade Jesus from His mission. There were many diabolical forces who continually attacked Jesus throughout His public ministry, especially through the ongoing hostility of the religious leaders at the time. And it can be presumed that these demons may have initially thought they won the battle when they accomplished their goal of having Jesus crucified.

The truth, however, is that Jesus’ wisdom continually confounded these demons and ultimately transformed their evil act of having Him crucified into an ultimate victory over sin and death itself by rising from the dead. Satan and his demons are real, but compared to the truth and wisdom of God, these diabolical forces reveal their complete foolishness and weakness. Just like Jesus, we need to rebuke these tempters in our lives and command that they be silent. Too often we allow their half truths to mislead us and confuse us.

Reflect, today, upon the importance of confidently rebuking the evil one and the many lies he tempts us to believe. Rebuke him with the truth and authority of Christ and pay no attention to what he says.

My precious and all-powerful Lord, I turn to You and You alone as the source of all Truth and the fullness of Truth. May I listen to Your voice alone and reject the many deceptions of the evil one and his demons. In Your precious name, Jesus, I rebuke satan and all evil spirits, their lies and their temptations. I send these spirits to the foot of Your Cross, dear Lord, and open my mind and heart only to You. Jesus, I trust in You.

Be Made Clean

Thursday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, If you wish, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, I do will it. Be made clean. Mark 1:40–41

If we come to our divine Lord with faith, kneel down before Him and present our need to Him, then we also will receive the same response given to this leper: I do will it. Be made clean. These words should give us hope in the midst of any and every challenge in life.

What is it that our Lord wills for you? And what is it that He desires to make clean in your life? This story of the leper coming to Jesus does not mean that our Lord will grant any and every request we bring to Him. Instead, it reveals that He wills to make us clean of that which afflicts us the most. Leprosy in this story should be seen as a symbol of the spiritual ills that afflict your soul. First and foremost, it should be seen as a symbol of the sin in your life that has become habitual and slowly does great damage to your soul.

At that time, leprosy not only caused grave physical damage to a person, but it also had the effect of isolating them from the community. They had to live apart from others who did not have the disease; and if they came near others, they had to show they were lepers by certain external signs so that people would not come in contact with them. Thus, leprosy had both personal and communal ramifications.

The same is true with many habitual sins. Sin does damage to our souls, but it also affects our relationships. For example, a person who is habitually harsh, judgmental, sarcastic or the like will experience the ill effects of these sins on their relationships.

Returning to the statement of Jesus above, consider that sin which not only affects your soul the most but also your relationships. To that sin, Jesus wishes to say to you, Be made clean. He wants to strengthen your relationship by cleansing the sin within your soul. And all it takes for Him to do that is for you to turn to Him on your knees and to present your sin to Him. This is especially true within the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Reflect, today, upon your closest relationships in life. And then consider which of your sins most directly hurts those relationships. Whatever comes to mind, you can be certain that Jesus wants to rid you of that spiritual leprosy within your soul.

My divine Lord, help me to see that which is within me that most harms my relationships with others. Help me to see that which causes isolation and hurt. Give me the humility to see this and the trust I need to turn to You to confess it and seek Your healing. You and You alone can free me from my sin, so I turn to You in confidence and surrender. With faith, I also await Your healing words, I do will it. Be made clean. Jesus, I trust in You.

An Act of the Greatest Charity

Friday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. Mark 2:3–4

This paralytic is a symbol of certain people in our lives who seem to be incapable of turning to our Lord by their own effort. It’s clear that the paralytic wanted healing, but he was unable to come to our Lord by his own effort. Therefore, the friends of this paralytic carried him to Jesus, opened the roof (since there was such a large crowd), and lowered the man down before Jesus.

The paralysis of this man is a symbol of a certain type of sin. It’s a sin for which someone desires forgiveness but is incapable of turning to our Lord by their own effort. For example, a serious addiction is something that can so dominate a person’s life that they cannot overcome this addiction by their own effort. They need the help of others to even be able to turn to our Lord for help.

We each must see ourselves as the friends of this paralytic. Too often when we see someone who is trapped in a life of sin, we simply judge them and turn away from them. But one of the greatest acts of charity we can offer another is to help provide them with the means they need to overcome their sin. This can be done by our counsel, our unwavering compassion, a listening ear, and by any act of fidelity to that person during their time of need and despair.

How do you treat people who are caught in the cycle of manifest sin? Do you roll your eyes at them and turn away? Or do you firmly determine to be there for them to give them hope and to assist them when they have little or no hope in life to overcome their sin? One of the greatest gifts you can give to another is the gift of hope by being there for them to help them turn fully to our Lord.

Reflect, today, upon a person you know who seems to be not only caught in the cycle of sin but has also lost hope to overcome that sin. Prayerfully surrender yourself over to our Lord and commit yourself to the charitable act of doing anything and everything you can so as to help them fully turn to our divine Lord.

My precious Jesus, fill my heart with charity toward those who need You the most but seem incapable of overcoming the sin in their lives that keep them from You. May my unwavering commitment to them be an act of charity that gives them the hope they need to surrender their life to You. Use me, dear Lord. My life is in Your hands. Jesus, I trust in You.

Discerning the Will of God

Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, Follow me. And he got up and followed Jesus. Mark 2:14

How do you know the will of God for your life? In his spiritual classic, The Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola presented three ways in which we come to know the will of God. (See mycatholic.life/ignatius for more.) The first way is the clearest and most definitive way. It is a time in which the person experiences a clarity beyond doubting as a result of a special grace of God. In describing this experience, Saint Ignatius mentions the passage quoted above as an illustration of this experience.

There is little said about this call of Levi in the Gospel of Mark, which is also recorded in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 9:9). Levi, who is also known as Matthew, was going about his occupation of collecting taxes at his customs post. It appears that Jesus spoke only these two simple words to Levi: Follow me. As a result of these two words, Levi abandons his former life and becomes a follower of Jesus. Why would Levi do such a thing? What was it that convinced him to follow Jesus? Clearly there was much more than just a two-word invitation from Jesus that convinced him to respond.

That which convinced Levi was a special grace of God which produced within his soul a clarity beyond doubting. Somehow Levi just knew that God was calling him to abandon his former life and embrace this new life. There was no long discussion, no weighing of the pros and cons, no prolonged thinking about it. Levi just knew, and he responded.

Though this form of clarity in life is rare, it’s important to be aware of the fact that sometimes God does act this way. This is a great gift when it happens! And though this depth of instant clarity is not always the way God speaks to us, it’s important to acknowledge that God does speak to us this way at times.

Reflect, today, upon this call of Levi. Ponder this inner certitude he was given in that moment. Try to imagine what he experienced and what others may have thought of his choice to follow Jesus. Be open to this same grace; and if you ever feel as if God speaks to you with such clarity, be ready and willing to respond without hesitation.

My dear Lord, thank You for calling us all to follow You without hesitation. Thank You for the joy of being Your disciple. Give me the grace to always know Your will for my life and help me to respond to You with total abandonment and trust. Jesus, I trust in You.

Second Week in Ordinary Time

Behold, the Lamb of God!

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.  John 1:29

Saint John the Baptist speaks these words about Jesus at the moment that he sees Jesus coming to him in the distance. John knew, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus was the Lamb of God. He knew, by this interior revelation, that Jesus would become the Sacrificial Lamb Who would lay down His life for the salvation of the world. Perhaps John did not know the details of how this would happen, but he didn’t need to. He was content knowing this sacred mission of the Messiah, and he was content knowing that Jesus was that Messiah.

Today, as we ponder John’s words, we are able to see them more clearly. Jesus is the One Who gave His life on the Cross for the remission of sins. He is the One Whom we now receive sacramentally in Holy Communion as that Lamb of God. It is His flesh and His blood, poured out for us, that we now consume with the deepest reverence and love.

At Mass, these are the final words spoken by the priest after the consecration and prior to Holy Communion. Every time we participate in the Holy Mass, we relive this moment in which John saw our Lord coming to Him.

As we begin this season of Ordinary Time, we are invited to come to know this Lamb of God more fully through His many teachings, miracles and actions done during His public ministry. In the Liturgy of the Word at every Mass, we are called to unpack these words of John, coming to understand the mystery of the life of Christ more fully. And through our participation in the reception of Holy Communion, we come to know Him Who is the Lamb of God in the most personal and intimate of ways, when we enter into holy union (Holy Communion) with Him.

Reflect, today, upon these very familiar words of Saint John the Baptist. As you do, begin by prayerfully pondering the knowledge that John might have had about Christ the first time he saw Him. Why did John say these words? How fully did he understand their meaning? Did he know that his words would be echoed throughout time? As you prayerfully ponder the interior knowledge that John might have had at that time, try also to reflect upon all that we now know about these holy words. Reflect especially upon the suffering and death of the Lamb of God and the way in which He has transmitted His Saving Sacrifice to us in Holy Communion. What a gift! What a mystery! What a joy! Behold the Lamb of God within your heart, mind and soul, and prayerfully seek to know Him more fully this day.

Glorious Lamb of God, You have come and taken away the sins of the world through the sacrifice of Your sacred life on the Cross. Please help me to understand Who You are and all that You have done for me, especially every time I come to behold You and receive You in Holy Communion. Jesus, I trust in You.

Being a Witness of Christ

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, We have found the Messiah — which is translated Christ —. Then he brought him to Jesus. John 1:40–42

Andrew was a follower of Saint John the Baptist until John directed him to Jesus. One day John saw Jesus walk by and pointed to Jesus, telling Andrew and another disciple, Behold, the Lamb of God. The two disciples followed after Jesus. After spending the day with Jesus, Andrew was so impressed that the next day he excitedly went to find his brother, Simon Peter, to tell him about Jesus. As is mentioned in the passage above, he enthusiastically tells Peter, We have found the Messiah. Then, once Peter meets Jesus, Peter also becomes His disciple.

A similar experience occurs between the brothers Philip and Nathanael (see John 1:43–51). Jesus calls Philip to follow Him, and he does. After coming to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, Philip goes to tell his brother Nathanael that he has found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets. Nathanael believes and follows our Lord. Thus, a series of conversions began after John the Baptist gave testimony that Jesus was the Lamb of God.

Though we can be certain that Jesus did not need the testimony of John the Baptist to convert Andrew, nor the testimony of Andrew to convert Simon Peter, nor the testimony of Philip to convert Nathanael, this is how it happened. Jesus chose to use these three to bring about the conversion of others.

In God’s divine plan of salvation, He regularly uses the mediation of others to bring forth the conversion of hearts. We see this on many levels. First and foremost, He uses our Blessed Mother as the Mediatrix of Grace to bring forth His grace upon us all. She is the instrument and Jesus is the source. Through her mediation, there are other saints who act as intercessors. And there are countless angels who also act as distributors of God’s grace and mercy. God is the source of all