2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 My dear parishioners,

God is Good!!!  All the time!!!  And all the time!!!  God is Good!!!

In this second part of the Book of Isaiah, the prophet’s oracles shift to the theme of restoration. With the collapse of the kingdom and the experience of exile, the people are better disposed to listen to God. They are no longer distracted by the pride that once blinded them to God’s ways. This change within God’s people is especially apparent in the rise of the servant of God, a welcome change after so many who refused to serve God in former times.

Servant. This servant, representing the ideal Israel, has already appeared in earlier oracles (see Is 41:8 and especially Is 42:1-4). Here the full scope of this figure’s service becomes apparent. Through the work of the servant, God’s glory will be displayed for all to see. God’s glory is always associated with all that God says and does to bring people to salvation. The servant plays an important role in this; the servant will bring the people back to God. Precisely how this will be achieved comes to light in later oracles, especially Isaiah 53, where suffering will clearly play a major role in the servant’s mission. This task is so important that God announces it is not enough for the servant to “raise up the tribes of Jacob.” God will make the servant a beacon of light for all the nations of the world. In this way God’s work of salvation will reach all the earth.

Lamb of God. The first testimony John the Baptist utters is pointing to Jesus and declaring him the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Commentators point to three possible influences for the meaning of “lamb of God.” It might refer to the victorious apocalyptic lamb of Revelation 5-7. It also brings to mind the paschal lamb of Exodus 12. Finally, it could reflect the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 who was like a lamb led to the slaughter.

John bears witness to Jesus. In all ways, Jesus is superior to John. Jesus ranks ahead of John because, as the prologue affirmed, Jesus preexisted in relationship to the Father before the creation of the world. John claims to have had no previous knowledge of Jesus until this moment. Luke 1 indicates that John and Jesus were relatives, but John’s Gospel does not seem to know that tradition. John baptizes with water for the sole purpose of revealing Jesus to Israel.

Confirmed by the Holy Spirit. John’s testimony is ratified by his seeing the Holy Spirit come down upon Jesus like a dove and remain on him. The dove imagery seems to carry with it the notion of new creation. More important is the use of the verb “remain.” The Spirit remained on or abided in Jesus. This indicates that an intimate and permanent relationship exists between the Spirit and Jesus. Jesus has been empowered by the Spirit and he will impart that same Spirit when he baptizes others. John could baptize only with water but Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit through which he himself was empowered by God. Some Christian denominations understand this in such a way as requiring the believer to seek out a second baptism, namely, that of the Holy Spirit. The Catholic Church does not agree with that interpretation. Baptism in the Holy Spirit refers to the quality of the baptism Jesus imparts, and not to a secondary additional ceremony. All this leads John the Baptist to declare his ultimate testimony: Jesus is the Son of God.

Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org. All rights reserved

 Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Aloysius