Peggy’s notes – 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Lamb of God…Jn: 35-42.

 

The Didache Bible gives this summation: Jesus is the Lamb of God, in no need of repentance, but he came to be baptized to identify with sinful humanity.

 

Para. 486…quotes the Acts of the Apostles in stating, “the whole life of Christ will make manifest how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.”

 

Para 536… the baptism of Jesus is on his part, the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God‘s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already “the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”  Already he is anticipating the “baptism” of his bloody death, already he is coming to “fulfill all righteousness,” that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father’s will: out of love, he consents to this “baptism” of death for the remission of our sins. The Father responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son. The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception, comes to “rest on him”. Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism “the heavens were opened”,the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed, and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.

 

 

 

719…we have quoted paragraph 719 before, but I think it bears repeating in the context of this Gospel. 719 says, “John the Baptist is more than a prophet. In him, the Holy Spirit concludes his speaking through the prophets. John completes the cycle of prophets begun by Elijah. He proclaims the imminence of the consolation of Israel he is the “voice“ of the consoler who is coming. As the Spirit of truth will also do,

John“ came to bear witness to the light.” In John, the Spirit thus brings to completion the careful search of the prophets and fulfills the longing of the angels. “He on whom you see the Spirit descend,John says, “and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and have born witness that this is the Son of God…. behold the Lamb of God.”

 

Para 1286… In the Old Testament, the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped for Messiah, for his saving mission. The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus, at his baptism by John was the sign that this was He who was to come, the Messiah, the Son of God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, his whole life, and his whole mission are carried out in total communion with the Holy Spirit, whom the Father gives him “without measure.”

 

 

 

Para. 3…comes from the Prologue of the Catechism… Those who, with God‘s help have welcomed Christ’s call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the good news everywhere in this world. This treasure received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ’s faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.

 

Para 520… in all his life, Jesus presents himself as our model. He is “the perfect man”, who invites us to become his disciples and follow him. In humbling himself, he has given us an example to imitate. Through his prayer, he draws us to pray, and by his poverty, he calls us to accept freely the privations and persecutions that may come our way.

 

Para 608… after agreeing to baptize him along with the sinners, John the Baptist looked at Jesus and pointed him out as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” By doing so, he reveals that Jesus is at the same time the suffering servant, who silently allows himself to be led to the slaughter, and who bears the sin of the multitudes.

 

 

He is also also the Paschal Lamb, the symbol of Israel’s redemption at the first Passover.  Christ’s whole life expresses his mission:  to “serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”

 

Para 878… Finally, it belongs to the Sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry, that it have a personal character. Although Christ’s ministers act in communion with one another, they also, always act in a personal way. Each one is called personally: “you, follow me” in order to be a personal witness within the common mission, to bear a personal responsibility before Him who gives the mission, acting “in his person” and for other persons: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”….; I absolve you…”;

 

Para 1618… Christ is the center of all Christian life. The bond with him takes precedence over all other bonds, familial, or social. From the very beginning of the church, there have been men and women who have renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb, wherever he goes, to be intent, on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go out to meet the bridegroom who is coming. Christ himself has invited certain persons to follow him in this way of life, of which he remains the model.” and here is the quotation comes from Matthew 19:12

 

 

 

“For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”